Industry and the Public Sector have united in a major venture to accelerate and expand the growth of offshore energy supply chain on the east coast of Scotland Renewables under the name of Forth & Tay Offshore.
This will be achieved through a series of activities designed to support innovation, collaboration, investment in skills and market awareness, while also promoting our existing supply chain capabilities. Participating councils are Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Perth & Kinross, East Lothian and Scottish Borders with support from SSE, EDF Renewables and Red Rock Power Limited.
The new cluster is being set up as part of the UK Government’s Sector Deal for Offshore Wind, which set an ambition for the industry to generate 30 per cent of the UK’s power needs by 2030 when published in March of this year.
A series of business breakfasts throughout the east coast of Scotland are planned to kickstart engagement starting on Wednesday 18 September at Doubletree Hilton Hotel, North Queensferry. For more information and further details of events at Musselburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee can be found at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/forth-amp-tay-offshore-26328485269
Andy McDonald, Head of Low carbon, Scottish Enterprise said: “Scotland’s offshore wind sector continues to go from strength to strength, with two major projects beginning construction, three participating in this year’s CfD auction, and a multiple new sites being offered via the ScotWind leasing round. The new Forth & Tay cluster is well placed to service not only Scotland’s growing offshore wind pipeline, but also the many other projects planned for the rest of the UK and Europe. The clusters are an ideal route for the Scottish supply chain to tap into innovation, collaboration and skills development opportunities, so I’d encourage any interested company to come along to the business breakfasts to learn how they can become part of Scotland’s offshore wind success story.”
For further information on Forth & Tay Offshore cluster, check out https://www.forthandtayoffshore.co.uk/
ENDS
Note to editors
Why Forth & Tay Offshore Cluster?
The Offshore Wind Sector Deal announced in March 2019 will provide a pathway to 30GW of deployed capacity in the UK by 2030 ensuring that the UK maintains its position as one of the global leaders in offshore renewables. The announcement will see £48 billion invested in UK infrastructure, potentially creating 27,000 skilled jobs across the UK (up from 11,000 today) mainly in coastal areas.
With more than 2.5GW of consented projects now situated in the Forth and Tay estuaries, and new leasing rounds opening in Scotland and the rest of the UK later this year, the cluster is preparing to support every aspect of the next generation of wind farms, both fixed foundation and floating.
The Forth & Tay Cluster is home to world-leading innovative institutions, industry-leading vocational skills providers and a coastal infrastructure that has benefited from significant investment. The Forth and Tay will be home to a number of offshore wind resources:
• Seagreen – current application for up to 1,500MW (SSE)
• Inch Cape – up to 700MW (Red Rock Power)
• Neart na Gaoithe – 448MW (EDF Renewables)
• Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine – 7MW (ORE Catapult)
• Forthwind –18mw demonstration (Cierco Ltd)
• Scotwind – potential new leasing round sites on east coast
Working Together
In order to ensure success, the Forth & Tay Offshore Cluster will work in tandem with other industries. Forth and Tay Decommissioning recently announced an integrated, end-to-end service for North Sea Oil & Gas decommissioning which is strategically positioned at the Port of Dundee.
There is an opportunity for the Forth & Tay Cluster to partner with other offshore sectors as many of the skills and jobs will be transferable with offshore wind.
As well as an established track record in offshore wind, our local supply chain companies have supported and been integral to major infrastructure and complex security critical platform projects including the new Queensferry Crossing and both two of the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers.
The Tay Cities Deal will see major investment in East Central Scotland, with Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth and Kinross all set to benefit. The Deal includes support for manufacturing growth, and these regions already have a positive track record of collaboration and successfully working together.
Similarly, the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal will bring similar investment to the region; the Forth & Tay Offshore Cluster will align both regions to offer to the market one of the most comprehensive offshore clusters in Europe.