The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult has launched the first Fit 4 Offshore Renewables (F4OR) programme in Wales, specifically designed to support local companies bidding for work in the floating offshore wind industry.
F4OR Wales programme will be delivered in phases starting in 2024, with an initial cohort of three companies.
ORE Catapult is partnering with Floventis Energy , the developer of the Llŷr 1 and 2 offshore wind project in the Celtic Sea, to deliver F4OR Wales. The company has committed up to GBP 180,000 to ORE Catapult’s 12-18 month floating wind-specific development programme along with access to the Llŷr development team.
In additional to financial support, Floventis Energy will provide technical and market insight for participant companies in the F4OR programme.
“Floating wind is fast becoming a proven technology with the potential to deliver sustainable sources of energy and enable us to make the transition to net zero. Projects such as Llŷr 1 &2 working in conjunction with initiatives such as F4OR are crucial to building the industry not only in Wales but also the UK,” said Cian Conroy , Head of Project Development UK & Ireland for Floventis Energy.
“The objective of the programme is to support the development of an increasingly competent, capable and competitive UK offshore renewable energy supply chain – maximising opportunity for the Welsh supply chain, both domestically and globally.”
F4OR Wales will mark the first time that the F4OR programme has been tailored exclusively for the floating wind market.
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The Crown Estate has set a plan to deliver an initial 4 GW of energy capacity in the Celtic Sea by 2035, with the region assessed to have the potential to accommodate up to 24 GW by 2045.
Studies estimated that the first GW of floating wind in the Celtic Sea could deliver over 3,000 jobs and GBP 682 million in supply chain opportunities for Wales and Cornwall by 2030, with 17,000 UK jobs generating GBP 33.6 billion for the UK economy by 2050.