UK: BIS Plans to Compile National Offshore Wind Supplier Database

The UK government revealed plans to create a database featuring every business that could help ensure domestic companies provide over 50% of equipment to the Round 3 offshore wind farms.

An official representing Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) said that this plan forms part of the efforts aimed at supporting the growing sector, the BusinessGreen news portal writes.

Marine South East (MSE) project manager, Richard Barron, advised the government to create a database of all the potential suppliers.

The MSE’s initial research for E.ON’s Rampion offshore wind farm had already discovered over 600 Sussex companies that could supply it. Currently, it islooking for ways of identifying companies to fill the gaps in the supply chain.

“We’ve identified something like 762 sub categories in the supply chain, largely across 18 tier-one contractors and were able to identify in Sussex 600 companies in a position to supply services and products,” Mr Barron said.

“What is glaringly obvious is there’s a need for a national database.”

BIS’s Green Economy Team hopes to create a database by gathering information from regional projects such as the ones lead by E.ON and Marine South East.

Considering the fact that there was some disapproval on imported turbines, components and workforce for the first generation of wind farms, the industry now hopes to lower the costs and increase employment.

Furthermore, by maximising UK content, the delivery process of the large components could be simplified.

[mappress]

Offshore WIND staff, June 6, 2012; Image: doggerbank