Activity over summer on floating offshore wind (FLOW) in the Celtic Sea has not been restricted to developers preparing their bids into Leasing Round 5. Attention in the region has been turning to the how.
How to deliver? That was the the exam question CSP set for companies to develop Outline Delivery Plans (ODPs) for key FLOW challenges. This 200k program (thanks to Shared Prosperity Funds) sought ambition to take on; Operations and Maintenance, Anchors and Mooring and Logistical Services. No less than 8 consortia (involving at least 30 companies) have been formed as a result – to work up solutions that are both credible and investible.
Enabling investment that accelerates scale-up is vital. The Crown Estate’s (TCE) Supply Chain Accelerator Fund followed these ODPs with almost perfect timing before recent announcements on GB Energy. All this shows real promise for timely and targeted investment into the necessary regional infrastructure and industry. GBEnergy, and their partnership with TCE, have huge potential to help realise the ambitions clearly shown by our private sector. Both returns and UK additionality should follow. The Celtic Sea remains a speculative market however, subject to risks of various kinds; demand, timing, white elephant and… development.
So, in our quarterly overview of opportunities and upcoming events related to Celtic Sea FLOW we begin with the development pipeline.
Development Pipeline
Seasoned FLOW-watchers are not too swayed by each crisis/triumph posted on LinkedIn. There will be road-bumps no doubt – but, with clear intent for a green energy transition, the long-term outlook for Celtic Sea FLOW is strong.
- Test and Demo. Allocation Round 6 moved offshore wind on from last year’s wobble and, for FLOW, the success of Flotation Energy’s 400MW Green Volt project via INTOG is very positive. Being in Scotland should pose little hindrance to eager companies from the SW and Wales – all the better for UK Plc. No bids into the Celtic Sea were expected – but concerns only grow that the “stepping stone” concept may be wobbling. The core premise of test and demonstration is for shared learnings to enable a ramp-up of local capability. But if vanguard developments are in fact fraught with commercial sensitivity such benefits are far less likely to be realised. And not at all if consenting and financing challenges overwhelm our T+D developers. It’s now at a critical stage and we wish them all well.
- Leasing Round 5. Applicants for 3 x 1.5GW projects in the Celtic Sea in TCE’s R5 are currently working up their bids. Those seeking a lease will, we trust, include ambitious plans for regional supply chain and investment in our workforce and communities. Not because these are nice to have but because they are essential. Or 4.5GW of FLOW in the late 2030s simply won’t happen. This doesn’t all fall on R5 developers but we do look to them for leadership rather than “land-banking”.
- TCE’s Future of Offshore Wind. No specifics yet on Leasing Round 6 but this report’s warm words on ambition beyond 2030 are welcome. This said, there is much still to do in terms of stakeholder engagement.
- Marine Delivery Routemap. In essence; build a baseline of evidence; characterise the environment as a whole; engage widely, forge data standards and facilitate collaboration. It’s a point of pride here at CSP that our work over the last three years to collate data on wind, metocean, seabirds and marinelife has acted as a forerunner for this strategic approach to inform decision-making in the consenting process.
Live Opportunities
Opportunities in FLOW still dominated by grants but be sure to sign up to Piranha for commercial contracts as they emerge.
- The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP) has launched the Manufacturing Facility Support Programme (MFSP); a £2m pot for projects to unlock capital investment to: Build new manufacturing facilities or expand existing ones. Grants of £150k to £500k are available to eligible UK businesses to apply with a minimum 50% matched contribution. You can register for the online briefing webinar at 2pm on Tues 10th Sept and do note that the closing dates are coming up fast: Stage 1 on 20th Sept and Stage 2 on 15th Nov.
- Launchpad 2 funding from Innovate UK has just opened for UK registered organisations to apply for a share of up to £3 million for business led projects that grow their innovation activities in the marine and maritime cluster in the Great South West. There are two strands, both with the closing date is 16 October 2024, 11:00am: Minimum Financial Assistance (MFA) – grant funding of £25k-£100k project, single applicants only Collaborative Research and Development (CR&D) – Grant funding of between £150,000 and £750,000.
- Though the first round is now closed, the The Crown Estate’s (TCE) Supply Chain Accelerator will return – so do keep working up ideas (and best of luck to those who bid in).
- PIRANHA is CSP’s B2B platform for developing solutions in advance of major market challenges. Feel free to sign up and be bold in “pitching in” – Piranha aims to showcase proactive solution providers with ambition to take on upcoming challenges.
Upcoming Events
September and October have an exhausting run of events in the south-west…. All with relevance to FLOW and if not necessarily with spaces left:
- Cables 2024. Conference on Sept 18th at the Marriot Royal Hotel Bristol. Global Underwater Hub / Renewable UK.
- Subsea Cable Insurance. Conference and Workshop on Sept 19th at the Marriot Royal Hotel Bristol. Global Underwater Hub / Renewable UK.
- Decarbonising the UK Conference on 25th Sept, 11-5 at the University of Plymouth. South West Business Council
- Women into Wind. Online webinar on Sept 26th, 12-2. Celtic Sea Power
- Celtic Sea Flow Summit 2024 on Oct 1st at The Eden Project. Celtic Sea Power. At capacity.
- Introduction to Floating Offshore Wind Presentation with Q&A on Oct 2nd at Carn Gwaval Wellbeing Centre, Isles of Scilly. Celtic Sea Power
For anyone tempted by Aberdeen in early October:
- Open Day at ORE Catapult’s Floating Wind Innovation Centre. On 8th Oct at 1330-1530 in Aberdeen. OREC CofE.
- Celtic Connection. Networking Reception on 8th Oct, 1600 at OEUK in Aberdeen. Offshore Energy UK / Cornwall Trade and Investment / Celtic Sea Power
- FLOW 2024. Conference on 9 and 10th October at the P&J in Aberdeen. RenewableUK
