Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 18TH - 24TH MAY 2018 | 11 Policy & Regulation "Offshore wind is already competitive with other forms of generation, and the move to larger turbines means the cost will drop even further." Opinion Andrew Jamieson L ast year, we were on the cusp of a renewables revolution. This year, we are in the middle of one. Two recent developments will have wide-reaching implications for the way in which the UK will generate and deliver power in the months and years ahead. These announcements, made in quick succession, have delivered the biggest vote of confidence yet in the country's renewables credentials – and provided us with the clearest view so far of how the clean growth revolution will pan out in the UK. GE Renewable Energy's five-year agreement to test two of the most important developments in its wind portfolio at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult's facilities in northeast England is a tremen- dous boost to the country's reputation as a hotbed for development in the industry. It not only validates our capability to test technology, but it also helps the UK supply chain grow, further demonstrating our potential as a global leader in a competitive environment. That news came hot on the heels of an announce- ment from the offshore wind sector that it is committed to working with the UK government on a sector deal that could generate £48 billion in new investments in the country's infrastructure, and boost the nation's offshore wind capacity to 30GW by 2030. And all this follows the UK government's announce- ment last year, in its industrial strategy, that it is to champion innovation in clean energy as one of the country's four main economic drivers. Momentum isn't just building, it's gathering serious pace. Of course, there will be some immedi- ate impact from these developments, but it is only when we look to the horizon that we begin to realise the full effect they will have on the UK. And we look to that horizon from a position of strength. Already we have the largest installed capacity of offshore wind in the world, and that is set to continue. Offshore wind is already competitive with other forms of energy gen- eration, and the move to larger turbines means the cost per MW will drop even further. Perhaps the most exciting element of the clean energy revolution is the technology that will sit alongside it. ORE Catapult has been working with a network of highly responsive SMEs and start-up companies across the UK that are capturing the imagination by driving forward the development of robotics, AI and digital twinning tech- nologies. These solutions, which can be applied to every stage in a turbine's lifecycle, are already attracting global attention, not least for their ingenuity. From moving away from expensive rare earth mag- nets to cheap, abundantly-available ferrite solutions, to automated drones with their own self-navigating motherships, we are seeing innovation on a scale never before seen in the energy sector. The results are tangible. We've already seen job growth from this work, but GE's announcement and the commitment in the sector deal propel the potential for job creation in this country to another level – not to mention the possibilities associated with exporting technology and skills to other nations. Industry analysis suggests that with a capacity of 30GW by 2030, the industry could support 27,000 well- paid, highly skilled jobs – double the existing workforce. Aberdeen, Liverpool, Hull, the Isle of Wight, Barrow, East Anglia and the northeast of England have already felt the benefit of the growing renewables sector – and we see that benefit spreading even further. There are, without question, challenges we still have to overcome if we are to achieve these goals. Most pressing is the need to maintain a highly skilled and diverse workforce – essential if we are to have a competitive edge in the global marketplace. Yes, the off- shore wind industry has moved from a young, disruptive influence on the energy sector to an established and vital part of the UK's economy; but we must have the skills framework and facilities to ensure the continued delivery of the talent required to maintain our cutting edge. Perhaps the biggest challenge is to integrate new technology into the grid without driving up costs. Energy storage is a key enabler of that technology as we look to ensure we can make the most of the clean, abundant energy offshore wind delivers, and it is pleasing to see that the sector is looking to address this challenge. At this point it is worth remembering that the cost of electricity produced from offshore wind halved between 2015 and 2017. At this rate, overcoming those and other challenges isn't just a possibility – it's absolutely within our grasp. Andrew Jamieson, chief executive, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult

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