The leading trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) responded to the announcement that the UK has signed a memorandum with Japan to cooperate on offshore wind. OEUK represents over 400 firms across the UK’s integrated energy mix and its world class supply chains, from wind to oil and gas, hydrogen, carbon capture and geothermal technologies. OEUK is campaigning for a homegrown energy future that makes the most of the UK’s offshore energy and safeguards energy security and jobs as it journeys to net zero.
The memorandum can be read in full here UK-Japan offshore wind memorandum of co-operation (MoC)
Michael Tholen, Offshore Energies UK’s director of sustainability and policy comments:
'Collaboration is the key to unlocking the world’s energy future. The UK and Japan share a rich industrial heritage and this new partnership means we can work together to attract and drive global investment into our respective offshore wind industries, which are a growing part of the international energy mix.
'This partnership can spark innovation and bring new technologies such as floating wind into new markets. This will benefit both our nations’ highly skilled people and energy supply chains. The current global wind market is 100GW and we expect it to triple by 2030. There is a world of offshore wind opportunity that we must take together to build our energy future.'
OEUK is campaigning for a homegrown energy future that makes the most of the UK’s domestic energy resources and as it journeys to net zero. Find our more by visiting the campaign hub www.oeuk.org.uk/manifesto
Fast facts
- 154,000 UK jobs are directly or indirectly related to offshore energy.
- 120,000 of these are directly or indirectly supported by oil and gas projects. When induced jobs are included this increases to over 200,000.
- Spend in the UK’s offshore energy sector could total £450bn from 2024 to 2040.
- The existing supply chain built through experience supporting the oil and gas sector has the capability to service 84%, 80% and 58% of our CCS, Hydrogen, and Floating offshore wind sectors, respectively.
- Moving to net zero will require more than £1 trillion of investment across the UK economy.
- The UK imports around 41% of its energy needs. UK energy production is at the lowest it has ever been.
- The UK gets three-quarters of its total energy from oil and gas. Domestic production is equivalent to around half these needs. · At least 20 million homes rely on gas boilers for heating. 1.1 million more homes rely on heating oil.
- Over 26% of UK electricity is supplied by gas power stations
- 38 million UK vehicles run on petrol or diesel.
Source: OEUK
