Episode 49: Improving the UK’s Approach to Technology Development

The ReEnergise Podcast

Episode 49: Improving the UK’s Approach to Technology Development in Conversation with… RWE & LM Wind In the past couple of months, we have seen some big news in the UK offshore wind sector focused on our approach to the industrialisation of offshore wind technology. In April, we had the publication of the much anticipated Industrial Growth Plan for offshore wind, which sets out a pathway to grow the offshore wind supply chain to accelerate and de-risk delivery, as well as develop market share and technology leadership for the UK. Then just a few weeks ago, we were very proud to announce an £85.6m investment from our colleagues at UKRI to upgrade and expand our testing facilities at our National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth. This game-changing development will future proof the UK’s capability to de-risk turbine technology and incentivise a strong UK presence across all areas of offshore renewable energy. The upgraded facilities will be able to test blades of up to 150m and drivetrains up to 23MW. And with that, the theme of this episode of the ReEnergise podcast is around unlocking the future of technology development and industrialisation in offshore wind. Our Director of Technology Development, Tony Quinn, was joined by Danielle Lane, RWE's Director of Development for UK and Ireland, and Andrew Bellamy, Managing Director at LM Wind Power UK. Discussions included: 1) How do we prioritise our objectives for offshore wind? 2) Have we underestimated the challenge of simultaneously scaling both the technology and production capacity? 3) Are we suffering the consequences of a disproportionate allocation of risk and is there a more equitable solution? 4) How do we take a more robust approach to technology confidence, gained through testing and validation and shared knowledge to enhance the whole industry? 5) How does the UK’s approach stands up against other markets, and what are some of the lessons we can take?