How Can UK Ports Support Offshore Energy Development?

UK
ports are playing a key role in the country’s energy sector, and this role is
evolving as green energy becomes more essential to the economy.

In
North East England, thePort of Tyneis leading the way in preparing its
site for offshore wind manufacturers.

In
North East England, the

Port of Tyne

is leading the way in preparing its
site for offshore wind manufacturers.

Matt
Beeton, Port of Tyne’s CEO, has this to say:

“Offshore Wind
is a sector in which the North East has particular strengths and an area of
strategic importance for the regional economy, with the potential to build on
our already globally important offshore energy and subsea cluster.”

The Port of Tyne
is closer than any other UK port to seven of the world’s largest offshore wind
farms. This puts it in the perfect position to support the needs of these
offshore energy developers.

UK ports are in
prime position to become pioneers of new industry as offshore wind farms
expand, providing more sustainable energy across the country.

Boosting Offshore Wind Power

Renewables
currently provide nearly a third of the UK’s power, with half of this coming
from wind energy. The UK has more installed offshore wind capacity than any
other country, making it a world leader in this field.

The Government has announced a £100 million
fund to boost UK wind power and a record amount of new offshore energy
projects.

It will provide a guaranteed price to those
companies willing to take the risk of installing offshore wind turbines by
2025.

These projects should provide power to seven
million homes, and they will do it at a cost that is now lower than expected
for offshore energy.

The growing offshore wind sector will also
generate thousands of new jobs, as it becomes the backbone of affordable, clean
energy.

In the past couple of years, the cost of
offshore wind power has dropped considerably, by some 30%.

This is helping to incentivise offshore wind
development.

Now, UK ports are providing the necessary
infrastructure support to establish more offshore energy sites.

Strategic Support for Wind Farm Developments

The Port of Tyne has made a multimillion pound investment to make the Tyne Dock Enterprise Park ready for offshore support.

This includes clearance and remediation, and
providing easy access to deep sea berths and other port services.

Where once UK ports supported the growth of the
oil and gas industry, they have first evolved to support decommissioning
activity, and now are preparing for the next era in energy development and
provision.

Port infrastructure can help wind farm
development with pre-assembly, construction, installation, operations and
maintenance.

As offshore energy matures, ports will also be
able to support further asset management.

“Tyne Dock
Enterprise Park offers unrivalled access to the East Coast development sites,
direct rail connectivity to Newcastle and an international airport, major road
networks and multiple riverside berths,” Matt Beeton explains.