News and Views

Businesses are being invited to explore supply chain opportunities in the offshore wind sector in Cumbria and beyond.

Cumbria already boasts the largest concentration of offshore wind farms and operations and maintenance bases on the UK’s west coast at Walney, off Barrow, and world class capability servicing the whole UK and international markets.

Now, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, the Furness Economic Development Forum and Department for International Trade have joined forces to host a major supply chain event at Barrow’s Abbey House Hotel next month (Thursday, November 21 – from 9am, closing with a networking lunch at 12.30pm).

The purpose is to brief businesses about emerging supply chain opportunities locally, nationally and internationally in the rapidly expanding offshore wind sector.

Miranda Kirschel, Cumbria LEP Head of Business and Innovation, said: “There is a growing national and international offshore wind market that presents a fantastic opportunity for Cumbrian businesses, many of which are already leading in this field.

“Together with FEDF, we wanted to give businesses the opportunity to hear more about, and directly access, the market through this event during National Offshore Wind Week”.

Stuart Klosinski, FEDF Project Manager, said: “This event will demonstrate how local companies can offer innovative solutions to enhance offshore wind operations and maintenance.

“A massive pipeline of new wind farm projects is set to take place around the UK coast and internationally from 2020 onwards. Orsted anticipates developing 13,462MW overseas. A forecast additional 20,439MW UK capacity will be installed additional to the 8,012MW operational today.

“The new Crown Estate’s Round 4 of offshore wind sea bed leasing, now underway, will pave a way for huge new wind farm projects on our doorstep in the Irish Sea. With early knowledge of emerging potential, firms will be able to pursue significant new business”.

There is a growing overseas market in offshore wind, providing a major export opportunity from which North West firms are already benefitting by servicing the industry in the USA, Taiwan, Korea, Australia and Northern Europe.

Representatives from the Department for International Trade will offer their insights on how to enter these markets and the support that might be available.

The event will also introduce the new Offshore Energy Alliance, a strategic partnership extending from the North West to North Wales to ensure that the economic opportunities presented by the sector are maximised.

Attending

Anyone interested in attending the event, the venue for which is being sponsored by the Abbey House Hotel, can do so via the following Eventbright link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/offshore-wind-north-west-england-supply-chain-opportunities-2020-registration-79002497597