Clean energy sector gets £4.5m boost

Ambitions to make Cornwall a leader in clean energy have been given a boost with a £4.5m investment in a range of projects under the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.

The strategic investment will accelerate Cornwall’s aim to maximize floating offshore wind (FLOW) generation opportunities in the Celtic Sea and establish the region as a key player in the UK’s transition to clean energy in pursuit of net zero.

It will also complement other investments from the Marine Good Growth Programme, including £2 million for future green skills and a £973,000 study to assess potential opportunities at Falmouth Docks.

Council leader Linda Taylor said: “We are committed to Cornwall’s sustainable and zero-travel future, which is why we are making targeted high-growth investments in high-value, high-growth sectors.

“Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) has the potential to be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Cornwall in terms of supply chain, renewable energy, job opportunities and economic growth.

“We are strategically positioned for FLOW in the Celtic Sea and welcome the opportunities it can bring to our residents in terms of job opportunities, economic growth and our sustainable future.”

FLOW has quickly become central to Britain’s plans to decarbonise its energy supply – with floating turbine platforms to be positioned in the Celtic Sea between Cornwall, Pembrokeshire and Ireland. This is why the formation of Cornwall’s FLOW Commission was a key element of the Tier 2 Devolution Agreement secured by Cornwall Council’s Cabinet last November.

The Crown Estate has identified sea areas where the first 4.5GW of FLOW will be deployed by 2035. This is enough electricity to power more than three million homes, with a stated ambition for a further 12GW by 2045.

Supporting the construction and operation of the Celtic Sea FLOW could provide a significant economic boost to the region, creating thousands of jobs. The resulting energy could play a major role in decarbonizing existing industries, providing an abundance of clean and green electricity. It could also deliver lower-cost green energy to industries with the potential to play a vital role in the UK’s energy transition, including Cornwall’s emerging tech metals and mining sector, itself the subject of strategic investment in the Good Growth Programme. in January 2024.

The announced Good Growth investment will support five key projects to develop and deploy infrastructure for this exciting emerging industry, including:

• a £3.2 million project to refurbish Penzance Dry Dock, which will protect this important marine engineering asset for Cornwall, retaining high-value skills and jobs and developing capacity in a key piece of supply chain infrastructure supply to meet the requirements of the FLOW sector. The Good Growth program is investing £2.02 million in the project which will rehabilitate the site – first established in 1815 – with modern equipment, improve the efficiency of existing infrastructure and see associated investment in an in-house skills and training center – Penzance Dry. Dock Skills Academy. Penzance Dry Dock – which in its heyday as Holman Shipyard employed more than 200 people – has exciting ambitions to become an engineering powerhouse once again. It is developing primarily from the ship repair business to support multiple market areas including shipbuilding, mass manufacturing and training and skills development.

• With Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (CIOS) poised for large-scale development in the Celtic Sea, the Cornwall FLOW Commission (CFC) will have a strategic sector development role focused on driving CIOS readiness to maximize the benefits of an operation unique. -a generation of growth opportunity for a £19 billion industry on its doorstep. The £1.26m project, led by Celtic Sea Power, is being supported with £1m of investment from the Good Growth programme. The project’s broad remit will include the formal establishment of Cornwall’s FLOW Commission, which is working to develop a simplified consent regime for offshore development and plays a key role in planning the necessary electricity grid upgrades to be implemented in Cornwall. Planning for key infrastructure investments, workforce and skills development and supply chain capacity building are also among its objectives.

• Based in Falmouth, TUGDOCK has launched a patented modular floating dry dock technology designed to revolutionize floating offshore wind operations. The Good Growth program is investing £932,859 in a £1.33m project to develop a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and dedicated R&D workspace for TUGDOCK in Cornwall. This will enable in-house production and increase productivity, accelerating the company’s global growth. TUGDOCK is seen as a key supply chain company that will accelerate the development of the floating offshore wind industry. It has already formed strategic partnerships with many leading offshore renewable energy development companies around the world, and its technology has been implemented on the first floating wind farm in France. The new R&D workspace will focus on advancing TUGDOCK technology, exploring sustainable materials and automation processes, and fostering collaborations with academic institutions to stay at the forefront of clean marine innovation. The project will create a number of highly skilled jobs in Cornwall, promoting long-term economic growth in the region.

• Falmouth Port Development – FLOW staging area is a £1 million project supported by a £502,500 investment from the Good Growth Program to create quayside facilities for the offshore floating wind sector. Part-funded by A&P Falmouth, it will create around 30,000m2 of berthing space at Falmouth Docks between County and Duchy Wharfs for the growing FLOW market. It aims to ensure that Falmouth Docks can meet the deadline for the first developer (Twin Hub) to be on site in the Celtic Sea and generating renewable energy by 2027. FLOW developers need sites in ports with substantial storage space for outfitting components near large quays to allow access for jack-up vessels and other construction vessels. The project will involve the demolition of around 10,000m2 of unused warehouses and the space created has been designed with developers FLOW to ensure it is fit for purpose. This critical infrastructure will ensure Falmouth Port remains a strategically important economic asset for Falmouth and Cornwall, including FLOW’s local assembly, maintenance and operation facilities, as well as wider supply chain benefits for local businesses.

• The University of Plymouth is leading a feasibility study into the potential development of the Celtic Offshore Mooring and Anchoring R&D Center (COMAC), which is being supported by a £100,000 investment from the Good Growth Programme. The centre, which will be created in Cornwall, will play a critical role in the planned expansion of floating offshore wind technologies in the South West of England. The feasibility study, scheduled for completion in March 2025, is being led by Professor Lars Johanning from the University’s Center for Decarbonisation and Offshore Renewable Energy, working in partnership with Reflex Marine Ltd, Celtic Sea Power and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult. The university is home to a number of the UK’s leading offshore renewable energy experts and facilities. It will develop the business case for the new COMAC centre, identify potential sites and any planning constraints and outline how it could be delivered effectively. And it will examine how the facility could support local FLOW businesses to develop new products and technologies and create high-value jobs in the area.

The total £4.55m investment in supporting Cornwall’s clean energy sector through the Good Growth Program is funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF). Cornwall has been awarded £132m of SPF funding over three years, with investment decisions taken at local level and a focus on inclusive and green growth.