The number of workers in a key North East growth area could increase to as much as 220,000 by the end of this decade, a new report has claimed.
The report on the offshore energy sector also found that for the 海角视频 to meet its target of producing 40 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind by 2030, 2,500 new wind turbines would need to be installed by then 鈥 the equivalent of one new turbine each week day for the next nine years.
The figures were revealed in a new review of the offshore energy sector in the 海角视频 produced by experts at Aberdeen鈥檚 Robert Gordon University.
As well as forecasting a possible increase in the workforce, it suggested roles in 鈥渄ecarbonised energies鈥 鈥 such as offshore wind and carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) 鈥 would increase from just a fifth of jobs currently to almost two thirds (65%) by 2030.
With around 160,000 people currently directly and indirectly employed in the 海角视频 offshore energy sector, the report predicted this could grow to 200,000 or even 220,000 in the best case scenario over the period.
The report told how an estimated 拢170bn could be invested on capital and operating activities in the 海角视频 offshore energy sector between 2021 and 2030 鈥 with this taking in spending on oil and gas, offshore wind, CCUS and hydrogen.
But it warned that 鈥渞educed ambition, combined with lower activity level and accelerated decline in the oil and gas industry鈥 could see the workforce in the sector drop to 140,000 by 2030.
Lead author Prof Paul de Leeuw said: 鈥淭his review highlights the material prize for the 海角视频. Successful delivery of the 海角视频 and the devolved governments鈥 energy transition ambitions has the opportunity to secure around 200,000 jobs in 2030 for the offshore energy workforce.
鈥淲ith the overall number of jobs in the 海角视频 oil and gas industry projected to decline over time, the degree of transferability of jobs to adjacent energy sectors such as offshore wind, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen or other industrial sectors will be key to ensuring the 海角视频 retains its world class skills and capabilities.鈥
The North East is one of the areas expected to benefit from the boom in offshore energy, and two years ago was named as one of four regions around the 海角视频 to be lead the Government鈥檚 Offshore Wind Growth Partnership.
Hundreds of jobs will be created by the decision to site the maintenance base for the massive Dogger Bank wind farm at the Port of Tyne, while the Port of Blyth and areas on Teesside are also seeing lucrative developments linked to renewable energy.
Last week an Anglo-American energy company said it wanted to set up a 拢200m factory on the North East coast to make cables for wind farms supplying the 海角视频 from the North Atlantic.
