More than 300 hectares of land has been identified for a ‘Greenport Two’ in Hull, as ABP gears up to meet anticipated offshore wind demand.
And Port of Grimsby, home to the world’s largest operations and maintenance facilities - with six wind farms currently controlled, can still welcome more according to port chiefs.
Addressing the launch of the Humber Offshore Wind Cluster Prospectus, Gareth Russell, ABP’s offshore wind lead on the Energy Estuary, said: “We are really supportive of this prospectus. You can see just what the Humber is capable of, what we have already done and what we plan to do and can do.
“We are really impressed that there is the commitment, co-operation and also the capacity here in the Humber to meet the Net Zero carbon target in renewable energy, and particularly in offshore wind.
“We’re very, very passionate about growing what we have got in Grimsby, listening to our stakeholders, our customers, about what we can do to maintain the top spot and centre of excellence and leadership in all things operations and maintenance. The port is large enough to cater for further O&M and its supply chain, and there are some really exciting things happening.
“Across on the North Bank,we have already got Green Port Hull ‘One’ as we call it where Siemens Gamesa is based - that was a £150 million investment by ABP in port infrastructure, and almost the same, £160m million, invested by Siemens Gamesa in the factory itself.
“We have come to the stage now where we can see there is going to be significant growth in offshore wind and we’ll soon be launching some quite exciting plans to expand the capacity and capability of the Port of Hull to accommodate further manufacturing, marshalling and loading out of wind turbine components.
“We have worked out we have got at least 300 hectares of land that we can earmark to support the sector.”
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It is understood to focus on the belt of land to the east of the developed estate, by Saltend Chemicals Park.
Welcoming the recently announced support fund he described as “vital to ensure the 海角视频 attracts additional offshore wind manufacturing,” Mr Russell said: “We are committed and eager to increase the target of 海角视频 offshore wind generation.”
One of the original partners in early forays into offshore wind on the Humber, in Grimsby, was RES, having helped establish the Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms with Centrica and identify potential with The Crown Estate.
The new business development manager there is Corrine Barry, having previously been with James Fisher in the port.
She gave a passionate pitch for the value of the prospectus, with the supply chain behind the developers and manufacturers forming a significant part of the sector.
Addressing the launch, the Grimsby Renewables Partnership director said: “I was drawn to the area because of my passion for renewable energy and the potential I saw in the town of Grimsby and the wider Humber region.
“The prospectus has given RES and many others a platform to present the different elements we bring through the supply chain. When we harness, collaboratively, we will provide facilities to underpin a sustainable future for us all and the prospectus tells that story for us.
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“Grimsby and the Humber region, is home to some of the most sustainable companies, including Orsted - in which we have the world’s largest operations and maintenance facility, and we also have the world’s second biggest developer in offshore wind in RWE, investing now in construction of Triton Knoll. We have ORE Catapult who have established their new centre of excellence, Siemens based on the North Bank with one of the largest blade factories and Maersk has established a new offshore training centre.
“These are just a few small examples of some of the world’s major companies in renewables who have seen the potential in the Humber region and invested locally into the supply chain. It has brought growth to the local economy and education on the importance of reducing the carbon footprint.
“The region embraces a local global industry, and we are often reminded by the many delegate parties from other parts of the world including China, Japan and America, who want to share in our knowledge of the offshore wind sector.
“Although since my time working and living in the Humber region the supply chain has grown immensely, the prospectus reminds us that if we want to achieve the government’s commitment to 40GW by 2030 then we in the Humber have a big role to play.
"We need to continue our investment in the local supply chain by attracting new stakeholders into the region, and continued investment from current suppliers. The prospectus aligns with RES’ future story and I encourage you all to join and make this story yours as well. Please share the prospectus and share in the future.”