Companies, including ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall, have joined ports, local authorities, businesses and educational institutions to set up the Norfolk and Suffolk Offshore Wind Cluster (NSOWC) in eastern England.
The cluster aims to help support regional job creation in the sector, which it said could reach 6000 by 2032.
New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership chair Doug Field said: “Norfolk and Suffolk’s wind cluster is becoming the centre of gravity for the UK’s market with more capacity than any other UK region.”
The LEP has also set up a new All Energy Industry Council to help develop trade, investment and growth within the industry in the eastern England region, as well as help deliver the National Industrial Strategy and offshore wind sector deal.
The council will develop the offshore wind cluster alongside, and in parallel with, planned investment and development across the energy industry.
According to the NSOWC, cumulative capacity in operations and development off the area is 14.5GW, enough to deliver 50% of the UK government’s targets for 2030 set out in its sector deal with the industry.
It said around £11bn of development and capital expenditure has been invested in constructing offshore wind projects in the region, with the 971 operational turbines requiring ongoing annual operational expenditure of around £253m.
Furthermore, full build-out of the projects in construction and development will require an additional £22bn in capital expenditure and bring the total annual operational expenditure to £550m, the cluster said.