The next session in our Ports & Vessels 2021 webinar series takes place on Thursday 15 April at 10am, with a panel discussion about future port requirements for offshore wind construction. Joining the panellists will be Don Lamont, Head of Rivers, Dams and Maritime Services for Atkins. In this blog, he offers an overview of what he’s seeing in the field right now and how Atkins is supporting the sector.
Atkins’ worldwide experience in the planning, design and implementation of offshore wind infrastructure reflects our depth and breadth of technical expertise; the bringing together of people, processes and information to ensure the physical asset base delivers the desired outcomes.
A thriving offshore wind port must build and integrate the right infrastructure to make a success. To fully seize on the green energy opportunity, investment and innovation are required to deliver a more carbon sensitive and sustainable approach.
We are able to offer clients a strong sector presence, a history of successful projects, and expertise in providing the broad range of offshore wind, port-related services for well-respected port authorities and offshore wind developers throughout the UK and internationally.
Working with partners (such as Ørsted) across the globe to promote long-term sustainability is particularly topical given the current spotlight on decarbonisation of the North Sea, where existing assets are being repurposed and used by organisations to minimise their carbon footprint, linking back to land-based ports.
We are involved in everything from identifying potential ports suitable for the development of offshore wind facilities through to planning and design for manufacturing, staging, operation, maintenance and decommissioning.
Taking advantage of our renewable energy and maritime engineering services isn’t just about utilising Atkins’ deep understanding of the constraints and requirements of operating in complex, highly regulated environments, but also our breadth of technical capability. We embrace new concepts and adopt new technologies to enhance operations and deliver better outcomes.
Our vibrant network of engineers, scientists and economists cares about outcomes for you and the unprecedented challenges you face. We provide added value through helping shape the way you think, enabling you to make better decisions and to capture and value environmental change in delivering your projects.
Right now, we are involved with the recent Freeports initiative in the UK. We helped deliver the successful Freeport bid for Tees Valley, for which GE Renewable Energy has recently committed major investment. Freeports have the potential to be engines of growth for the UK economy – centres of trade and manufacturing at the heart of innovation.
Innovation should be driven for the benefit of the whole offshore wind sector and wider UK economy. To move forward with renewable energy development in the best way, it’s important to bring together all parties involved, from offshore wind developers to local Government and other infrastructure providers like Highways England, Network Rail etc. Doing everything in isolation will only solve a problem for today and maybe tomorrow – it does very little in the long-term. This is something that Atkins can bring to your projects, utilising our unique skills and experience from various sectors to promote infrastructure integration.
An interesting opportunity that comes from enhanced cohesion of ports is clustering of the supply chain, locating sites for each stage in the process within closer proximity. These clusters breed innovation, bringing together people with associated skills to drive progress. It’s about making things smarter and more efficient.
Integrating our leading-edge working methods with a commitment to net zero carbon sustainability results in changes throughout the offshore wind system, from infrastructure design and construction to the paths followed in manufacturing and staging terminals.
At the end of the day, there is massive potential in offshore wind for the decarbonisation of various industries and the journey to a national and even global net zero. We need to work together and maximise on the technology available to encourage growth of the sector and achieve a more sustainable future.