Energy giants explore plan to boost floating offshore wind skills

Shell and Scottish Power have announced they are exploring a new plan to develop floating offshore wind skills in Aberdeen.

The mooted Floating Wind Skills Accelerator “could create pathways all the way from primary school to a professional”, the energy firms said.

It will tie up with the National Energy Skills Accelerator (Nesa), part of the Energy Transition Zone based in the Granite City from Sir Ian Wood and Opportunity North East.

Shell and Scottish Power said they will use their ScotWind projects, MarramWind and CampionWind, to focus on the benefits of Scotland becoming a “global leader” in the field.

They said the programme will bring together academia, industry and the wider supply chain to open up opportunities in the north-east and further afield to establish the green workforce needed.

Apprenticeships and internships, graduate programmes, industry placements and STEM education workshops for primary and secondary schools are some of the initiatives which could be supported.

Charlie Jordan, offshore director for the UK and Ireland at Scottish Power, said: “Commercial-scale floating offshore wind will revolutionise the energy sector – not just here in Scotland, but right across the world – and it’s vital we have the right people throughout the supply chain, with the right skills and capabilities, to make that happen.”

Melissa Read, UK business manager offshore wind at Shell, said: “Shell aims to invest up to £25 billion in the next decade in the UK’s energy system, including in ScotWind.”

The programme will bring together several parties.