European Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition (EWEC)

Join us at EWEC  for our UK Offshore Wind Side Event and Workshop

Side Event 09:00 - 11:00

Deploying offshore wind is one of the UK’s most important responses to the imperative delivery of renewable energy supplies. Policies and support mechanisms are in place and hurdles have been addressed, to provide for more than 40GW of offshore wind power to be deployed by 2020. This deployment will involve an investment of some £100 billion.

We are now seeing the early stages of the largest growth of industry in the UK for many years, with companies from the supply chain positioning themselves to be a part of this growth sector and companies supporting the infrastructure, deployment and operation; from the UK and internationally.

DECC is hosting the seminar to present the UK’s position as number one in offshore wind deployment and discuss the surrounding trade and investment opportunities in this sector, including UK Government officials and The Crown Estate's results from its UK supply chain survey. See the draft programme.

Supply Chain Challenges Workshop, 1:30 - 3:00 and repeated at 3:30 - 5:00

Following the results of the Crown Estate Supply Chain events in the morning, the afternoon workshop is your opportunity to influence UK government offshore wind policy. Join the open debate on the challenges facing the UK offsore supply chain with DECC and the Crown Estate officials.

Both events are for EWEC delegates only and are free to attend. To register, please contact vicky.brown@ukrenewbales.com

About DECC's offshore wind commitment

Climate Change Imperatives

The UK is working to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, a change that will see a transformation of the way in which we supply and use energy. In the short term, we have an obligation to supply renewable energy to meet 15% of our primary energy needs by 2020; from some 2.5% in 2008.

Policies and Programmes

Policies are now in place to provide for this rapid expansion in the use of renewable energy, and particularly for offshore wind. Building on the experience of earlier years, commercial rates of return are available for renewable energy projects, arrangements are being introduced to ensure adequate and timely grid access, environmental impact studies are being carried out centrally in advance in areas likely to be developed, and the process of obtaining planning permissions is being made radically simpler and quicker.

Support for research and development continues, in order to produce the next generations of renewables technologies, and to encourage concentrations of specialist capabilities. Companies that can provide high quality contributions to all stages of supply chains, infrastructure development, and construction and deployment of capacity are being encouraged to enter and expand in this industry.

Focus on Offshore Wind

Offshore wind will play an important part in the early growth of renewables in the UK and in the achievement of national targets. The UK has Europe’s best offshore wind resource; it has maritime and industrial traditions, experience of offshore oil and gas, and a range of deep water harbours that can be applied to the support of offshore wind operations. Licensing and construction is in hand for over 40GW of offshore wind capacity with more anticipated for the future, and it is expected that over 30GW will be complete by 2020. The associated industry investment has been assessed at some £100 billion over this period.

Progress and Commercial Opportunities

Some 1GW of capacity offshore has now been completed, from the early rounds of the offshore wind bidding and development processes. A further 15GW is in various stages of planning and development; the winning bids were announced at the end of last year for some 30GW from the Round 3 bidding process. As the construction and deployment of this capacity accelerates, there are huge opportunities becoming available for trade and particularly investment in the deployment and operation of offshore wind capacity, and in all stages of the supply chain.