Global Underwater Hub (GUH) is aiming to make a case for strategic government support for the underwater industry, which, it says, is key to unlocking the emerging floating offshore wind opportunity, valued at £270 billion domestically, with a serviceable export market of £1 trillion.
The trade and development body, which represents the country’s £9.2billion underwater industry, wants to make sure the UK is well-placed to develop the new generation of floating offshore technology, creating thousands of jobs and positioning the UK as a global centre of excellence.
Undersea cables, moorings, and anchor systems are key components of the critical infrastructure required to deliver floating offshore wind. The UK’s underwater industry excels in manufacturing and assembling the myriad of components for these complex systems and in overcoming the challenges of installation, operation, and maintenance in hostile conditions and deep water.
Neil Gordon, chief executive of GUH, said: “We’ve made a clear and compelling case to the government as to why the underwater industry is of national strategic importance and why investment in this industrial sub-sector should be prioritized.
“Unlike fixed offshore wind in shallow waters, where large parts of the manufacture and fabrication have gone overseas, floating offshore wind is a nascent technology in more hostile and challenging conditions. But it’s one in which the UK has a very real competitive advantage – a subsea industry with over fifty years of offshore experience, whose technology and expertise are sought-after globally and which leads the way in dynamic undersea cables, moorings, and anchoring systems, not to mention their installation, operation, and maintenance. It is a sector where we are world-beaters – and that’s not political hype!”
The sheer scale of what is proposed in offshore wind makes it one of the biggest industrial opportunities in a generation, says Mr Gordon. “But if the UK underwater industry is unable to meet the demand for subsea technology and services due to a lack of investment, we will become a caretaker of other nations’ technology and expertise rather than an innovator and major supplier.
“We have a unique opportunity to create thousands of new green jobs, transfer oil and gas jobs into renewables, build vital domestic infrastructure, and win export orders. Prioritizing and investing in the UK’s underwater industry will help accelerate the transition of our oil and gas supply chain and cement the UK as an international center of excellence. Not only will it secure our energy supply, but it will also protect critical underwater energy and communications infrastructure. Given the heightened threat from rogue nations, the underwater battlespace has become a high priority for the UK and wider NATO allies.”
In its response to Invest 2035, the government’s industrial strategy consultation, GUH set out what the underwater industry will need to take advantage of the “unprecedented” opportunity presented by floating offshore wind and maximize economic value for the UK.
Project certainty, speedier and less complicated consenting, investment in research and development, port infrastructure, and grid capacity are among the government’s requests.
Mr Gordon added: “We have the capability, but we can’t currently meet the demand that will arise from the scale of offshore wind projects in the pipeline. Equally, we don’t have the confidence to know when and where to invest because we don’t have clear visibility and timelines for these projects. A clear pipeline of projects, with streamlined and better-resourced consenting, is needed to encourage the investment that will allow the supply chain to adapt and scale up. The underwater industry stands ready to help the UK meet its clean energy ambitions and maximize value for the UK by doing so. However, recognition of its strategic importance and prioritized investment from government is crucial.”