Vattenfall UK country manager Danielle Lane has been appointed the new co-chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC), replacing Orsted’s Benj Sykes who has held the role for six years.
Lane will help to steer the organisation through the next phase of implementing the Offshore Wind Sector Deal with government.
OWIC is publishing a Sector Deal Progress Update report on its strides forwards since the agreement was announced in March 2019.
Highlights of the report include the industry establishing a £100m Offshore Wind Growth Partnership fund to develop the UK-based offshore wind supply chain, long term planning for how to connect projects to the grid, supporting the development of a hydrogen economy and setting new targets for apprentices and a more diverse workforce.
Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “With record amounts of offshore wind on the grid, and plans underway to support 60,000 jobs in the industry by 2030, it has never been more crucial for government and industry to work hand in hand.
“That’s why I am delighted to welcome Danielle to her new role as co-chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council, and I look forward to working with her.”
Sykes, Orsted UK offshore head of market development, consenting and external affairs, said: “It’s been a great privilege during my time as co-chair to work so closely with government and see first-hand the enormous amount of work that has been done to position the sector as a core part of our clean energy infrastructure.
“Through the collaborative approach we developed between industry and government culminating in the Offshore Wind Sector Deal, and the consistent and supportive policies that ensued, we have been able to build and maintain the UK’s position as the global leader in this key technology.
“I look forward to contributing to OWIC’s ongoing success, chairing the Pathways to Growth group that will work with Government to create a strategic framework that can underpin the sustainable and responsible development of future offshore wind, in pursuit of delivering the UK’s net zero obligation.
I’m very glad to be handing over to someone as capable as Danielle, as I know she’ll make a huge success of her new role, building on the foundations we’ve laid and steering the industry to even greater heights in the years ahead.”
Lane said: “Offshore wind is already powering the green industrial revolution in the UK, and so much of the momentum behind the industry’s expansion over the last decade is down to the tireless work of my predecessor.
“Now we look to the future, and the priorities which will enable us to realise the Prime Minister’s goal of offshore wind powering every home in the country by 2030.
“Firstly, I want us to really focus on building the supply chain and bringing skilled green jobs to new parts of the country.
“This is crucial if the industry is going to make a meaningful contribution to the levelling up agenda and rebuilding the economy.
“Secondly, we have to further increase diversity within the industry to make it an attractive and accessible career to the widest possible talent pool.
“Thirdly, we need to make sure we the right planning framework is in place: spatially – to ensure we can sensitively accommodate and coordinate the infrastructure for 40GW of capacity with other marine and land users; sectorally – to identify how we unlock economic growth powered by renewable electricity; and timely – to ensure the system processes planning applications as quickly as possible to keep a pipeline of projects moving forward.
“That’s really important to meeting net zero targets and building the supply chain.”