Wind power and shipyard industries make joint call for investments in ships for offshore wind expansion

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the Community of European Shipyards’ Association (CESA) are calling on the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the building of new ships to serve the expanding offshore wind energy market over the coming years.

EWEA and CESA urge the European Commission to develop programmes and funding mechanisms, and for the European Investment Bank to take the necessary measures to support the risk related to the necessary significant investments, to ensure that a sufficient number of installation vessels are available to the offshore wind industry. They also argue that the offshore wind power industry should be identified as a key industry in the EU’s 2020 strategy for smart, green growth.

Investments in new ships totalling €2.4 billion are needed for the predicted growth of offshore wind. By 2020, the installation of thousands of offshore wind turbines, as well as the necessary substructures and cables, is foreseen.

“From 2020 we will see 40,000 MWs per year built offshore” said Eddie O’Connor, founder and CEO of Mainstream Renewables and EWEA Secretary. “This will require ten to twelve new heavy lift vessels, other vessels for transporting foundations, towers, nacelles and blading systems. New ports will have to be built across Europe.”

“European shipyards provide the necessary engineering power to develop innovative solutions for dedicated offshore equipment” Reinhard Lüken, Secretary General of CESA said. “Together European industry holds unique capabilities to drive fast growth towards the green revolution of sustainable energy production.”

“Offshore wind power provides the answer to Europe’s energy and climate dilemma – exploiting an abundant energy resource which does not emit greenhouse gases, reduces dependence on increasingly costly fuel imports, creates thousands of jobs and provides large quantities of indigenous, affordable electricity,” Justin Wilkes, Policy Director of EWEA said.

The offshore wind industry currently employs 19,000 people, a level which is expected to rise to 156,000 jobs by 2020.

The call was made at a meeting in Brussels chaired by O’Connor and Lüken bringing together the wind industry, the European shipyard industry and officials from the European Commission and European Investment Bank. It will be followed by further collaboration between the two associations and their members in order to support the European institutions in taking appropriate action.