UK’s Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, in partnership with the National Shipbuilding Office and The Crown Estate, has appointed APCL Cammell Laird to carry out a detailed analysis of the future market opportunity for UK-built ships in offshore wind.
With over 850GW of offshore wind capacity expected to be installed globally by 2050, there is a need for major growth in the production of SOVs to support this expansion.
Analysis carried out by ORE Catapult shows that hundreds of these ships are likely to be in operation around the world in the years to come, with an associated global market of nearly £35bn ($45.4bn) between now and 2050.
This study will help to develop knowledge of how the UK can provide vessel manufacturing to support offshore wind, delivering jobs and economic investment to communities around the country.
“We know that for the UK to tap into the full potential offered by offshore wind, we’re going to need to dramatically increase the number of vessels that can maintain the turbines of the future. It’s vital, therefore, that we work to ensure as many of those vessels as possible can be manufactured in British shipyards,” said Lauren Hadnum, clean maritime manager at ORE Catapult.
“As one of the UK’s largest and most established shipbuilders, we are committed to delivering a robust, evidence-based business case that will shape the future of sustainable shipbuilding and reinforce the UK’s role in the global offshore wind supply chain,” added Linton Roberts, APCL Group CTO.
Will Apps, the offshore wind strategy director at The Crown Estate, pointed out that one particularly interesting output from the study would be the feasibility assessment of low or no-emission SOVs operating in the UK.
