Skills and supplies are vital

The era of offshore wind is here and an innovative new project based in Aberdeen is aimed at tackling the skills gap faced by the nascent industry.

X-Academy is billed as a world-first transition skills initiative, charged with focusing today’s bright minds on solving real life climate change energy issues.

Led by Granite City consultancy Xodus Group, with support from BP and German firm EnBW, it will offer training opportunities for hundreds of people to work directly on initiatives to reduce emissions and accelerate efforts towards net-zero.

The initiative is especially vital following the ScotWind offshore wind leasing announcements earlier this year. Confirmation 17 projects had been successful in securing option agreements with a combined capacity of 25 gigawatts threw out a strong message of what can be achieved.

X Academy managing director Peter Tipler said: “Hot on the heels of that came Crown Estate Scotland’s announcement it has launched a new offshore wind leasing round for innovation and targeted oil and gas (Intog) projects.

“Open to both smallscale innovation and larger projects linked to oil and gas infrastructure which will help decarbonise North Sea assets, Intog will encourage and support the ongoing development of offshore wind technology in Scottish waters.” Xodus has been at the forefront of driving the move towards a renewable future for many years.

Scott Hamilton, head of Offshore Renewables, Xodus, said: “We are wellplaced to understand and respond to the challenges which this fast-emerging sector must address if it is to meet the very ambitious but very achievable targets that have been set.”

Mr Hamilton added: “Two key game-changers will be the development of a strong local supply chain which can deliver these projects, and the building of a skilled and motivated workforce with the passion to drive change.”

Mr Tipler, who is also sales and marketing director at Xodus, added: “The first of these will need investment to deliver the incentive to grow the local supply chain and secure its long-term sustainable future.

“The second of these game-changers will need investment in people.”

Skills required in the future will inevitably differ from those readily available in the present.

X-Academy – launched with the help of the North East Economic Recovery and Skills Fund – is as much about changing mindsets as skillsets.

Mr Tipler added: “It will focus on such things as how we can maximise offshore production, while reducing emissions, and how we can enable emerging technologies, provide advice on renewable developments and support gaps in the local supply chain.”

Offshore windfarms offer job opportunities.