6 minute read
Renewables
OFFSHORE WIND POTENTIAL
Wind generated electricity is the key to being able to achieve decarbonisation writes Simon Brett, commercial director for port services at the Port of Tyne
The UK government has released ambitious targets for renewable electricity generation from wind farms. It wants a 25% increase in off shore wind power capacity, rising from the current 30GW to be generating 40GW by 2030. A signifi cant increase, it is needed to satisfy the future energy gap due to industry’s requirement for clean energy for decarbonisation projects.
Wind generated electricity is the key to being able to achieve these goals and scaling to this degree will require both new fixed and floating installations. The question is, can wind energy infrastructure providers rise to this challenge?
Ideally placed
The Port of Tyne believes it can and we are ideally placed to support any developments within the northern North Sea area spanning a 200-mile radius. In the short term, this includes designated farm sites at Hornsea and Dogger Bank, moving to Inchcape and Seagreen within the next five years, plus Marr Bank and Berwick Bank within the next decade.
Just as the UK government wants to increase its clean electricity supply, so too do other governments elsewhere in the world. This international rush to expand will seriously compromise availability of the resources needed and sequencing projects adequately to satisfy this demand will be a challenge. It will be especially difficult because in tandem with the rush to install, is a drive to increase turbine capacity. Whereas before, wind turbines were designed to generate 6 or 8 GW, new extra-large turbines are being designed to generate up to 20GW.
These new models require much bigger installation vessels and fewer ports can handle them. In the case of floating wind farms, a 20GW turbine also needs a floater that is too big to be accommodated in most UK ports. All this will inevitably create challenges to be overcome.
All stakeholders need to consider the implication of this desire for ever increasing turbine size - fixed or floating - and the impact this will have on the supply chain. It affects ports, tier one suppliers and all the plant and equipment vessels they operate. Larger turbines are attractive to economically generate the level of power needed, but they create inherent supply chain obstacles, since their size excludes so many ports from becoming suitable installation or manufacturing bases. Due to the Port of Tyne’s 13m draft and 65-70m beam, we can accommodate the vast majority of turbines.
Photo: Port of Tyne
Huge potential
A further complication in the UK exists because our government has set targets for 60% of UK content for wind turbines to be installed in UK waters. This is a sound policy, but it affects the supply chain because there will be increased demand for making components, for instance monopiles, turbines, blades, towers, cells and cable manufacturing. All this needs to be happening from port locations at roughly the same time that installations also need to be going ahead. It
8 Tyne Clean
Energy Park (TCEP) at the Port of Tyne is set to become the North East’s most versatile clean energy park
8 Port of Tyne has been
rapidly transforming its own commercial operations to become a low-carbon industrial hub
Photo: Port of Tyne
means suitable waterside land needs to be made available and quickly.
Having enough ports to operate from and enough Tier 1 installation companies with service capacity could be an issue. Additionally, when we have so many projects in the UK competing for Tier 1 supply contracts, or contractors competing in other parts of Europe for projects, it creates enormous market pressure. Increasing resource availability will be the key to controlling price fluctuations.
At the Port of Tyne, our preparations to meet the increased demand for land are well underway. We started with the launch of Tyne Clean Energy Park in 2020, after identifying up to 200 acres of suitable land for the offshore renewables sector. Our work to develop Tyne Dock Enterprise Park, which is being developed in tandem with building Equinor’s O&M base for Dogger Bank, has progressed well. Now works are commencing at Tyne Renewables Quay, with a new quayside facility that is especially suited to the manufacturing and assembly of offshore wind components due to become operational by late 2023.
We believe we are playing our part on the Tyne to accelerate time to market for operators and provide access to much needed resources. There is a huge opportunity for the UK’s offshore wind industry to supply the UK with its clean energy for many years to come and with the right longterm support, the sector will fulfil its true potential.
Port of Tyne has been rapidly transforming its own commercial operations to become a low-carbon industrial hub and has made a clear commitment to decarbonisation in its Tyne 2050 strategy.
This outlines the port’s strategic vision to become an Enabler and Operator of clean energy powered maritime supply chain services, including being ‘Carbon Neutral by 2030’ and ‘All Electric by 2040’. By the end of 2021, just two years after launching Tyne 2050, the port will have cut its carbon emissions by a staggering 27% and achieved key net zero target milestones, including winning two Maritime UK awards in 2020. 8 www.portoftyne.co.uk
8 The Port of Tyne
is ideally placed to support any wind developments within the northern North Sea
Case study: Tyne Clean Energy Park
A new, 200 acre Tyne Clean Energy Park (TCEP) at the Port of Tyne is set to become the North East’s most versatile clean energy park, providing a unique co-location opportunity for the renewables sector. It offers state of the art infrastructure and unrestricted, lock free access to berths with up to 13.0m of depth alongside - a deep sea haven for offshore wind operators and other renewables specialists that is open 24/7, 365 days a year, during all tide states.
Tyne Clean Energy Park has already secured its first tenant, Dogger Bank Operational Base, which is a joint venture between Equinor and SSE. This early success is providing a catalyst for further land clearance to create additional space for more renewable energy tenants. By choosing Tyne Clean Energy Park as a commercial base, renewables businesses joining Equinor and SSE can co-locate every aspect of their supply chains - from manufacturing and assembly operations to installation and maintenance activities. The Port’s unique location on the River Tyne provides safe and efficient marine access to existing offshore wind farm sites, including Dogger Bank, Seagreen and Sofia, plus outstanding air, road and rail transport links to the rest of the UK and beyond.
Once fully occupied, Port of Tyne anticipates Tyne Clean Energy Park will play an important role in supporting the government’s goal to power every UK home with offshore wind electricity. Tyneside is also renowned for its local pool of offshore energy industry professionals, who have highly transferable skills for the renewables sector. The development will create thousands of new, better jobs across the region.
The River Tyne is already home to an existing offshore cluster, with partner organisations including South Tyneside Marine College, A&P, Smulders Projects, Shepherd Offshore and TechnipFMC, contributing to a well-established offshore energy supply chain. This further increases Tyne Clean Energy Park’s suitability as a ‘blank canvas’ commercial base for renewables manufacturers, construction specialists, operators and servicing providers. Each of these stakeholders has a distinct supply chain relating to the different stages in the offshore wind farm lifecycle and require different levels of investment, from plant and infrastructure to labour resourcing - all this can be accommodated at the Tyne Clean Energy Park.
