On 9 January the Crown Estate announced that it had signed agreements with nine consortia to develop a series of large off-shore wind generation schemes. The proposed developments could ultimately generate a quarter of the UK’s electricity needs and create an additional 70,000 jobs over the next 10 years.
However, independent sustainability consultants DPP warns that unless the government acts now to develop a domestic skills base to support this growing industry the UK is unlikely to benefit directly from any increased employment opportunities.
Sunil Shah, a partner and sustainability expert at DPP, said: “The UK cannot currently claim any real expertise in the development, construction and ongoing maintenance of off-shore wind farms. Germany and Denmark currently lead and dominate this market, with the USA and China rapidly developing credible expertise. If the government does nothing, most, if not all, of the jobs generated by this massive wind generation development will be lost overseas and the UK will have lost perhaps its best chance of developing a skill base that will have a global demand.
“It may not be possible or indeed desirable for the UK to develop the manufacturing expertise needed to physically build the required turbines, but there are significant opportunities to develop a credible skill base in marine engineering needed to site and house the turbines, in ongoing maintenance, on-shore facilities and emergency services.”
DPP adds that the appropriate skill sets can be developed in a relatively short period of time. “If the government were to take this challenge seriously it would be possible to develop a solid skill base within three to four years,” says Sunil. “Within a decade the UK would be able to claim with some credibility to have a market-leading industry.
“This is something that Spain has been able to do very quickly and exactly what the USA and China are now working hard to achieve. If the UK were to leave it for another five years or so it would be too late – we would always be playing catch-up.”
The nine schemes are:
• Moray Firth zone – 1.3 GW
• Firth of Forth zone – 3.5 GW
• Dogger Bank zone – 9 GW
• Hornsea zone – 4 GW
• Norfolk Bank zone – 7.2 GW
• Hastings zone – 0.6 GW
• West of Isle of Wight zone – 0.9 GW
• Bristol Channel zone – 1.5 GW
• Irish Sea zone – 4.2 GW
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About DPP
DPP is a top ten independent town planning consultancy providing strategic advice to the a range of clients. DPP's chartered planners, sustainability, heritage and design experts work with developers, landowners, business operators and public sector bodies, offering services relating to the development and use of land. The firm operates in all development sectors with a particular presence in residential, retail, regeneration, mixed uses, business and commercial. DPP is committed to maintaining the qualities that separate us from our competitors, as well as continuing to enhance our established reputation for providing high quality, efficient and cost-effective services while helping clients reach their planning and development objectives.
Clients of DPP include Bellway Homes Ltd, Caffé Nero, Centros, Domino's Pizza, English Heritage, Invensys, Liberty Properties, Liverpool Land Development Company, Mercian Developments, The Ministry of Justice, Shell International, Taylor Wimpey, Tesco, Unilever Pension Fund Trustees, United Utilities, the Watkin Jones Group and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Contact
Ceri Edwards, Redwood Consulting
Tel: 020 7828 5553
Email: ceri@redwoodconsulting.co.uk