Offshore wind pipeline faces power dilemma without robust energy supply chain, report finds

New research has revealed that persistent power challenges continue to pose substantial hurdles for the rapidly growing offshore wind industry, signalling a need for more capable energy supply chain partners to bridge this gap.

The report, called Race to Renewables, from energy solutions specialist Aggreko has found that 39% of 855 offshore wind professionals across Europe surveyed believed the lack of temporary power solutions were the biggest barrier to growth. In addition, the integration of greener technologies was seen to be a key factor in blocking growth.

Elsewhere in the report, 39% of respondents cited difficulties with transport and logistics were the main challenge for accessing power. Alongside this, 34% said that equipment turnaround time was also a problem. The lack of access to power can cause issues throughout the whole development, but it is particularly problematic for the construction phase, when it is needed for cable laying and supporting heavy lifting vessels.

Aggreko’s report also suggests that greener technologies are now becoming increasingly desirable for decision makers looking to drive down emissions during the development phase. Cost was seen as the main barrier to this, though there also appears to be a serious skills gap surrounding new technologies, with over 41% admitting that a lack of technical knowledge and experience was impeding uptake within offshore wind projects.

Offshore wind industry is currently in the midst of a huge upturn, with construction rising to record levels. Across Europe, over €5bn is set to be invested in the wind industry to help enable manufacturers to secure advance payments and provide performance guarantees for new wind projects. In the UK, the Labour’s decision to overturn onshore construction ban and the recent awarding of nine offshore wind projects to generate 9.6GW of power is signalling the growth of projects as the new government accelerates renewable production.

Persistent temporary power issues could prove costly for the industry, as the high targets set by European governments may not be met if solutions aren’t found. Aggreko has launched this new report to support the industry in addressing these issues, demonstrating the value of strategic supply chain partnerships to provide suitable flexible energy solutions and the expertise to deliver it correctly.

Michel Maaskant, Sector Sales Specialist for Offshore Renewables at Aggreko, said: “Despite the huge growth across the industry, there are still barriers that could cause issues if they’re not tackled. To ensure continued expansion, especially considering the targets set out by bodies across Europe, the wind sector must look at the barriers that are stopping greener technologies being used, alongside the issues around securing power for projects.”

These new partnerships aim to develop a plan for a site’s entire life cycle, aligned with Aggreko’s sustainability framework, ‘Energising Change™,’ which is designed to support commercially viable energy transitions for its customers. In addition, a central part of the framework is developing renewable infrastructure for the future, including additional grid capacity, commissioning new wind farms, grid balancing services and providing power for building transport networks.

“Energising Change™ is all about helping industries make the switch to more sustainable energy solutions,” added Michel. “However, they can only do this if they are given the correct support and guidance.

“In the wind sector, this knowledge gap is something that must be tackled if growth is to be achieved. This is where strategic partnerships between energy solutions providers and offshore wind companies will come into play to help develop sustainable supply chains and reliable energy provision.”

To read the latest report from Aggreko, click here.

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