New Offshore Wind Industry Council Co-Chair appointed
By:
Tom Russell
23/11/2020
OWIC
The Offshore Wind Industry
Council (OWIC) has announced the appointment of a new Co-Chair who will
steer the organisation through the next phase of implementing the Offshore
Wind Sector Deal with Government.
Vattenfall’s UK Country Manager Danielle Lane is taking over from Ørsted’s Benj
Sykes, who was Co-Chair of the joint Government and industry body for the
past six and a half years.
The announcement comes on the first day of Wind Week as the onshore and
offshore wind industry showcases its achievements. The OWIC is publishing
a Sector Deal Progress Update report on developments since the agreement
was announced in March 2019. Highlights include the industry establishing
a £100m Offshore Wind Growth Partnership fund to develop the UK-based offshore
wind supply chain, long term planning for how we connect projects to the
grid, supporting the development of a hydrogen economy and setting new
targets for apprentices and a more diverse workforce.
Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “With record amounts of offshore
wind on the grid, and plans underway to support 60,000 jobs in the industry
by 2030, it has never been more crucial for government and industry to
work hand in hand.
“That’s why I am delighted to welcome Danielle to her new role as Co-Chair
of the Offshore Wind Industry Council, and I look forward to working with
her.”
Ørsted’s UK Offshore Head of Market Development, Consenting and External
Affairs, Benj Sykes, said: “It’s been a great privilege during my
time as Co-Chair to work so closely with Government and see first-hand
the enormous amount of work that has been done to position the sector as
a core part of our clean energy infrastructure.
Through the collaborative approach we developed between industry and government
culminating in the Offshore Wind Sector Deal, and the consistent and supportive
policies that ensued, we have been able to build and maintain the UK’s
position as the global leader in this key technology.
“I look forward to contributing to OWIC’s ongoing success, chairing the
Pathways to Growth group that will work with Government to create a strategic
framework that can underpin the sustainable and responsible development
of future offshore wind, in pursuit of delivering the UK’s net zero obligation.
I’m very glad to be handing over to someone as capable as Danielle, as
I know she’ll make a huge success of her new role, building on the foundations
we’ve laid and steering the industry to even greater heights in the years
ahead”.
The incoming Co-Chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council, and UK Country
Manager for Vattenfall, Danielle Lane said: "Offshore wind is already
powering the green industrial revolution in the UK, and so much of the
momentum behind the industry's expansion over the last decade is down to
the tireless work of my predecessor.
"Now we look to the future, and the priorities which will enable us
to realise the Prime Minister's goal of offshore wind powering
every home in the country by 2030.
"Firstly, I want us to really focus on building the supply chain
and bringing skilled green jobs to new parts of the country. This
is crucial if the industry is going to make a meaningful contribution
to the levelling up agenda and rebuilding the economy.
"Secondly, we have to further increase diversity within the industry
to make it an attractive and accessible career to the widest possible talent
pool.
"Thirdly, we need to make sure we the right planning framework is
in place: spatially - to ensure we can sensitively accommodate and coordinate
the infrastructure for 40GW of capacity with other marine and land users; sectorally
- to identify how we unlock economic growth powered by renewable electricity; and
timely - to ensure the system processes planning applications as quickly
as possible to keep a pipeline of projects moving forward. That’s really
important to meeting net zero targets and building the supply chain."
