Former McLaren Formula One boss Martin Whitmarsh is to head a £100 million programme to make the UK offshore wind farm industry globally competitive.
He will chair the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP), launched by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC).
The programme is intended to develop the UK supply chain and support over 650 companies to deliver 60% UK contribution to offshore wind farms.
The £100 million promised today is less than half of the £250 million trailed in a policy paper on the OWGP in March .
Today’s announcement says the OWGP will target an increase from 8 gigawatts to 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, generating a third of the UK’s electricity.
Funding for innovation is intended to:
• Help UK companies in the offshore wind supply chain
• Enhance the ability of UK companies to export products and services around the world.
• Enable companies from other sectors to enter the offshore wind supply chain.
• Inspire companies to develop the next generation of innovative products and services to meet specific industry requirements.
Whitmarsh, the former McLaren Group CEO and Formula One Team Principal, carried out a review of the UK offshore wind supply chain for the Offshore Wind Industry Council which was published in February.
He will be joined on the board by Zoe Barnes, a partner at Everoze, a consultancy specialising in renewables; Stephen Burgin, who has held executive roles at ABB, Alstom and GE; and Richard Turner of business advisers Elan Solutions, a former President and CEO of JDR Cable Systems.
The OWGP’s first project will be a four-month assessment of the offshore wind foundations sector. This will assess the current and projected requirements for turbine foundations in the UK and abroad, identify barriers to growth and make recommendations to overcome these challenges.
The OWIC says the global offshore wind energy market could be worth £30 billion a year by 2030.
Nick Sharpe, director of communications at Scottish Renewables, said: “This programme, which will be delivered as part of the Offshore Wind Sector Deal, is a major opportunity for the UK supply chain to capitalise on a growing domestic and international offshore wind market, as well as allowing industry to increase the UK content of our offshore wind farms.
“As Scotland begins to build out projects which will harness its offshore wind potential, there is a real chance for supply chain businesses to invest and expand, creating skilled jobs and delivering economic growth across the country.”
