£3 million support package for offshore wind in North
Elaine Brass
18th May 2009
North of England companies with capabilities or potential in the offshore wind sector are to benefit from a new collaborative £3 million programme to enable the region to deliver on the Government’s commitment of 33GW of offshore wind by 2020.
The Northern Wind Innovation Programme (NWIP) aims to bring together industrial and technological capacity for
offshore wind energy and drive innovation in the sector primarily through the provision of a £2.6 million research fund. It also wants to increase knowledge transfer between academia and industry and enable Northern companies to identify and realise opportunities within the offshore wind sector, while enhancing the reputation of the North of England as an international centre for wind technology research and development.
The North of England already has a foothold in offshore renewables, with the first experimental offshore turbines situated in Blyth Harbour, Northumberland, and according to NWIP, holds a strong position in the sector with world-class research facilities, industry expertise in heavy manufacturing and strong engineering capability in offshore and power engineering.
The NWIP is being delivered by the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC), a research and development platform for new, sustainable and renewable energy technologies, and Envirolink Northwest. It is being funded by the Northern Way Partnership, a joint venture between the northern regional development agencies Yorkshire Forward, Northwest
Regional Development Agency and One NorthEast.
Andy Williamson, Business Development Director at NaREC said: "The UK Government's commitment to delivering 33GW of offshore wind by 2020 presents the economies of the North with a significant opportunity for sustainable growth. The Northern Wind Innovation Programme currently being delivered by NaREC and Envirolink Northwest will enable the engineering supply chains of the North increased opportunities to be a part of this new exciting industry for the UK."
Six launch events will be held in June for researchers and companies with an interest in entering the wind sector and in learning more about the available funding. These will be held in Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Penrith.