A strong year so far for RES’ offshore wind business

On November 1, the United Nations COP26 climate change conference will begin in Glasgow. World leaders, policymakers, NGOs and industries will come together to discuss how we can unite to tackle climate change, with accelerating the switch to renewables a vital topic on the agenda.

Offshore wind will play a pivotal role in this energy transition, particularly for nations like the UK that have a natural advantage in this field. As the host of COP26, offshore wind is one area where the UK has already shown clear leadership, with one of the highest installed capacities in the world.

Supporting the UK and other countries around the world in realising their offshore wind potential is a key goal for RES. As the world’s leading independent renewable energy company, we have been pioneering in wind energy since our first ever project in 1992 at Carland Cross in Cornwall. We are well placed to assist our clients, having provided end-to-end services to the offshore wind industry since the beginning. Our services were bolstered in July of this year by an investment of more than £400,000 into our control room on the River Clyde in Glasgow. The facility will be used to oversee renewable developments with a cumulative capacity of more than 2.5 gigawatts, including influencing the management of offshore grid technology across the world.

In 2021, we have so far signed a contract to provide asset monitoring services to the Moray East Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland and have also signed a strategic alliance agreement with Rix Renewables to jointly seek opportunities in the UK and Ireland offshore wind market. This alliance will free up additional resources and pool our combined market experience, helping both RES and Rix Renewables to accelerate investment in offshore wind projects.

Outside of the UK, in July we joined forces with Equinor and Green Giraffe to form Océole, a partnership that brings together our expertise to develop floating offshore wind in France. Our partnership will work towards submitting bids in the upcoming floating offshore wind tenders held by the French Government, and our ultimate ambition is to hopefully develop the first commercial floating offshore wind farm in France.

Ahead of COP26, RES will be joining other industry leaders in London at RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind Conference and Exhibition from the 29^th – 30^th September. This will be an important chance ahead of the landmark UN event to discuss the future of offshore wind, and its role in delivering on climate change targets, and we look forward to the opportunity for in-person discussion with clients and other industry players. It’s an exciting time for the offshore wind industry, and an important one too as we gear towards COP26.

Robert Fradley

Head of Offshore