An offshore wind sector deal would boost UK content of domestic projects to 60% by 2030 from 48% now, according to a report by former F1 boss Martin Whitmarsh.
The ‘Offshore Wind Industry Prospectus’ by the former McLaren chief executive and team principal said a sector deal backing 30GW installed capacity by 2030 would offer growth potential in domestic manufacturing of turbine towers and foundations.
The prospectus predicts further innovation in turbine blade technology and materials, higher voltage cables and floating turbines will drive growth opportunities.
“These opportunities will not only be for ‘traditional’ offshore wind suppliers involved with components like turbines, foundations, boats and cables, but also in robotics, drones, sensors and big data to name just a few,” said Whitmarsh.
The domestic and export market for offshore wind products and services provided by UK-based companies is expected to be worth £4.9bn a year by 2030, he added.
The document was prepared by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and the Whitmarsh Supply Chain Review Team on behalf of the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC), which is leading sector deal negotiations with BEIS.
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy UK director and OWIC lead for the Whitmarsh Review Clark MacFarlane said: “As this visionary prospectus shows, there are enormous opportunities for UK businesses in this multi-billion pound sector, so companies new to the industry should be excited by the potential to be involved.”