PM’S GREEN ENERGY PLEDGE TO GENERATE HUNDREDS OF JOBS
BORIS JOHNSON UNVEILS PLANS FOR AMBITIOUS ENERGY TARGET
OFFSHORE wind leaders on the Humber have welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ambitious raising of targets for the green energy industry.
A £160m investment in ports and manufacturing facilities has been promised as the Government looks to make the UK the “Saudi Arabia of wind,” with 2,000 imminent new jobs and 60,000 in the longer term outlined.
Mr Johnson told how he wants to see 40GW installed by 2030, enough capacity to power every UK home, pushing the target up 33 per cent.
It was described as “fantastic news for the Energy Estuary” by Siemens Gamesa blade plant boss Andy Sykes, while Able UK executive chairman Peter Stephenson said the Humber is “uniquely placed to deliver” on the ambition set out.
Last year’s Offshore Wind Sector Deal, itself spelled out by former PM Theresa May on the Humber, is being turbo-charged, with hunger for UK content now at the fore in an already world-leading industry.
It was delivered as a Covid panacea for the country by Mr Johnson at the virtual Conservative Party Conference. And it comes less than a month after 400 jobs were highlighted as an agreement was forged for Able Marine Energy Park to become a site for the manufacturing of monopiles, the huge steel stakes piled into the seabed to hold the huge structures in place.
Negotiations are ongoing with other supply chain entities to make the investment in the build-out of the quay at the North Killingholme site viable, with government support also flagged.
Mr Stephenson said: “That the Prime Minister, even in these difficult times, chooses to focus on the burgeoning offshore wind sector is proof positive that the Government is seeing the bigger picture and wishes to grasp this singular, but time-limited, opportunity.
“The reality is that before we can talk about manufacturing and maximising UK content, we need to put the building blocks in place and the fully consented Able Marine Energy Park is uniquely placed to deliver the ideal UK solution.
“Working closely with a number of government departments, we are committed to bringing this development to fruition.
“We are at varying stages of negotiation with a number of manufacturers who recognise the strength of the UK’S offshore wind sector and who, just as significantly, are fully embracing the need to establish a new “world-scale” industrial cluster on the Humber.”
South Korean steel giant SEAH has signed an exclusive memorandum of understanding with AMEP to establish what would be the UK’S first large-scale monopile production facility.
Having already delivered blades for five UK offshore wind farms, and now working on next worldleader Hornsea Two, Andy Sykes, plant director in Hull for Siemens Gamesa was delighted with the announcement, and what it could mean for the skilled workforce.
He said: “£160m investment in ports and factories to manufacture next-generation turbines in the UK is fantastic news for us, the UK’S energy estuary. Wind turbine technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace and to achieve the Government’s ambitious targets,
continued investment in innovation and infrastructure will be required.
“As the largest provider to the UK market, we have ourselves invested in our Hull facility since opening in 2016. Originally producing a 75 metre blade, the factory was redesigned to make larger scale 81 metre blades last year. With government support, the UK has the opportunity to be a greater provider to a market which is developing globally. Siemens Gamesa, Hull, exported wind turbine blades to Belgium this year and has future projects in Germany and Denmark in the pipeline.
“We are delighted that the leaps that the industry has made in both the speed of deployment, the reduction in price of electricity and the ability to create jobs in many locations throughout the UK has been recognised by the Prime Minister.
“Offshore wind is a key component towards delivering Net Zero, while also ensuring best value for money for British families and businesses. With such positive endorsement from Government, the industrial infrastructure can ‘build back greener’, deliver thousands of jobs and power every UK household with clean, green energy.”
Orsted, the company that has led the deployment off Britain’s coastline said the Prime Minister’s “landmark offshore wind speech” will unlock a huge opportunity.
Duncan Clark, the company’s lead figure in the UK, said: “We welcome the announcement from the government which will underpin the delivery of at least 40GW of offshore wind by 2030 and unlock huge opportunities for world class UK supply chain companies, both domestically and overseas, to market the skills and technologies that have been fostered in the UK offshore wind industry.
“Offshore wind is the most cost effective way to achieve the UK’S net zero ambitions and delivering 40GW of offshore wind by 2030 is an essential part of this roadmap.
“This is a challenging target, but achievable if Government and the industry continue to work together to accelerate deployment and build out the UK project pipeline as quickly as possible, regenerating coastal communities while expediting our progress to a more sustainable, low-carbon future.”
Orsted’s Hornsea Three is still awaiting consent, with Hornsea Four in development.