Members of the growing Celtic Sea Developer Alliance (CSDA) are gearing up to help shape Wales’ first conference dedicated to Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW).
The ‘Future Energy Wales 2022’ Conference on the 9-10th November, hosted by RenewableUK in conjunction with the Celtic Sea Cluster at the ICC in Cardiff, marks the first significant opportunity for developers to meet Welsh businesses looking to upskill and reap the benefits.
The Crown Estate’s recent announcement of five broad ‘Areas of Search’ for the development of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, provides a major job and prosperity boost for the people of South Wales and the South West of England.
Offshore wind is poised to become the backbone of a future Net Zero renewable energy system, creating up to 29,000 new jobs across the UK by 2050. The UK Government’s ambition will aim to generate enough electricity from FLOW in the Celtic Sea to power millions of homes.
All 23 FLOW developers from Marine Energy Wales’ newly formalised CSDA have an active interest in the Celtic Sea region, covering the South Wales coast and the South West peninsula, where ambitions for energy delivery are ramping up at pace.
The CSDA is working towards a just energy transition which supports sustainable jobs through a pipeline of work for regional ports and existing manufacturing industries.
Stephen Thompson, Programme Manager for Marine Energy Wales, said:
“The November conference will take a pragmatic look at the challenges and opportunities we face ahead of us. This will include the investment needed in our ports, grid connection, supply chain investment and availability of skills and skilled people.
Only by working together can we overcome these issues and unlock the maximum benefits for our region.”
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For more information visit the CSDA page: Celtic Sea Developer Alliance | Marine Energy Wales
The Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) Opportunity
- The Celtic Sea will play a key role in delivering UK and Irish low carbon targets with an estimated 50GW of realisable wind resource, in turn, driving regional development, creating new supply chain opportunities, a just energy transition and a significant portion of the 29,000 jobs forecast by 2050.
About the Celtic Sea Developer Alliance (CSDA)
- The CSDA brings together FLOW developer interests from Cornwall and the Great South West, Ireland and Wales to strengthen collaboration between the three regions with the aim of realising the economic and low carbon energy opportunity presented by FLOW.
- Over the next year the CSDA will form working subgroups to address key topics facing all developers within the Celtic Sea Region. It will also continue to work closely alongside the Celtic Sea Cluster to resolve issues such as grid capacity, port development and future workforce needs.
The CSDA was set up to:
- Establish the Celtic Sea Region on the UK Offshore Floating Wind map.
- Promote the regional and local opportunity by increasing supply chain awareness and engagement.
- Create networking opportunities.
- Break down barriers to the timely and competitive development of Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) in the Celtic Sea.
CSDA Partners:
MEW = Marine Energy Wales brings together technology developers, the supply chain, academia and the public sector to develop Wales as a leader in sustainable marine energy generation. MEW provides a single point of access and delivers a collaborative approach to energy policy, planning and consenting, supply chain development, research, promoting Welsh capability and public understanding. MEW hosts the CSDA.
MRIA = The Marine Renewables Industry Association represents companies and interests in Ireland and Northern Ireland in the Marine Renewables Emerging Technologies (MRET) sector. The role of MRIA is to promote the development and implementation of policy concerning the Marine Renewables Emerging Technologies. MRIA seeks to ensure that marine renewables development takes place in Ireland, North and South, to exploit vast natural energy resource stemming from the ocean and, second, to build a significant ‘island of Ireland’ position in the global marine renewables supply chain.
WEI = Wind Energy Ireland is the representative body for the Irish wind industry, working to promote wind energy as an essential, economical and environmentally friendly part of the country’s low-carbon energy future. We are Ireland’s largest renewable energy organisation with more than 150 members who have come together to plan, build, operate and support the development of the country’s chief renewable energy resource. We are an all-Ireland body, working in Northern Ireland through a partnership with our colleagues in RenewableUK.
RUK Cymru. As part of Renewables UK, RUK Cymru supports Welsh member companies to ensure increasing amounts of renewable electricity are deployed across Wales and to maximise benefits from the Welsh transition to a sustainable economy.
CIoS LEP = Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.) aims to facilitate sustained growth through long term, joined up investment in our People, our Places and through our Businesses.
CSC = Celtic Sea Cluster – The Celtic Sea Cluster has been established to help drive market creation for floating wind, accelerate supply chain readiness and develop a strategy for enhancing regional infrastructure.