The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said ‘where things are made, and who makes them, matters’.
This is critical to the emerging floating off shore wind sector, which provides the UK with a once-in-a generation industrial opportunity to build on thriving domestic supply chains that can retain manufacturing and its economic and social value on our shores.
There is great scope to develop a new generation of concrete-based floating substructures which can help the UK off shore wind industry to deliver portside manufacturing.
With floating substructures one of the highest value components of wind farms, there is a need to industrialise the production of floating off shore wind substructures to deliver cost certainty.
The UK is blessed with the geological resources to supply homegrown concrete, cement and aggregates. Underpinning this is a mineral products industry with the industrial capability, skills and technical innovation to support the manufacturing of concrete substructures at scale.
Our industry has a rich history of supporting major infrastructure projects and stands ready to deliver as a collaborative partner to develop designs which can cut costs, lower carbon and help sustain long-term manufacturing in the UK.
Prepared on behalf of UK concrete, cement and aggregates producers, this paper serves as a practical guide for developers, supply chain partners, policy makers and government. It sets out the benefits of these homegrown materials, the opportunity that concrete bases provide, our decarbonisation progress and the economic and social value that can be unlocked through partnership.
The UK is well placed to excel in floating off shore wind technology. It can seize this opportunity with homegrown materials to support British manufacturing, retain jobs and deliver economic and social value across the UK.
Chris Leese, Executive Chair
MPA Executive Management Committee
Download the full report here