Offshore wind offer jobs and income to coastal communities
Coastal ports like Mostyn can build a new economy based on offshore services
Installing wind turbines out at sea requires a range of engineering skills and sophisticated equipment – from jack-up barges to help drive the foundations deep into the sea bed through to cable-laying vessels to connect the wind farm to the mainland electricity grid.
Coastal ports like Mostyn, near Liverpool, have the opportunity to build up a new economic base providing construction and servicing expertise for the 33 Gigawatts of wind farms which the government projects could be built in UK offshore waters.
Mostyn has already provided facilities for three offshore projects – Burbo Bank, North Hoyle and Rhyl Flats – and is gearing up for more large wind farms to be built off the UK’s north west coast, including the 250 turbine Gwynt-y-Mor project. A maintenance team of 15 people based at the port, for example, is employed just to remotely monitor the North Hoyle turbines.
If the offshore wind power sector makes its expected contribution towards the UK’s 2020 target for renewable energy, then the Carbon Trust – a government-backed body that encourages businesses to reduce their carbon emissions - estimates that up to 70,000 jobs would be created and up to £8 billion generated in annual revenues.
Building wind farms in the sea is more expensive than on land, however, mainly because of the additional costs of foundations in the sea bed, power cabling back to land and the complexities of turbine installation. Reducing these costs is a major challenge for the European wind power industry.
The British Wind Energy Association estimates that if the European offshore sector expands to an annual deployment level of 4-5 GW, then costs could fall by as much as 20%.
Coastal ports like Mostyn, near Liverpool, have the opportunity to build up a new economic base providing construction and servicing expertise for the 33 Gigawatts of wind farms which the government projects could be built in UK offshore waters.
Mostyn has already provided facilities for three offshore projects – Burbo Bank, North Hoyle and Rhyl Flats – and is gearing up for more large wind farms to be built off the UK’s north west coast, including the 250 turbine Gwynt-y-Mor project. A maintenance team of 15 people based at the port, for example, is employed just to remotely monitor the North Hoyle turbines.
If the offshore wind power sector makes its expected contribution towards the UK’s 2020 target for renewable energy, then the Carbon Trust – a government-backed body that encourages businesses to reduce their carbon emissions - estimates that up to 70,000 jobs would be created and up to £8 billion generated in annual revenues.
Building wind farms in the sea is more expensive than on land, however, mainly because of the additional costs of foundations in the sea bed, power cabling back to land and the complexities of turbine installation. Reducing these costs is a major challenge for the European wind power industry.
The British Wind Energy Association estimates that if the European offshore sector expands to an annual deployment level of 4-5 GW, then costs could fall by as much as 20%.
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Wind power works for
Economy:
Offshore wind farms provide a new economic stimulus to coastal ports
Employment:
Offshore wind farms provide a new economic stimulus to coastal ports
Employment:
Installing and maintaining offshore wind turbines is creating thousands of jobs
Environment:
Environment:
Stronger winds offshore means greater savings of greenhouse gases
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