A new comprehensive action plan aims to maximise Wales' offshore wind potential and secure long-term economic benefits.
A task and finish group, established earlier this year, brought together the collective effort of sector leads across Wales – covering developers, ports, manufacturing and skills.
Their aim was to identify what needs to be done in partnership with the Crown Estate, industry and social partners to secure lasting economic and social value to Wales.
Wales has been at the forefront of offshore wind projects, hosting the first fixed offshore wind developments in North Wales.
Today, Wales has a significant pipeline of more than 15 GW of offshore wind projects around its coastline, in Welsh, English and Irish waters.
The sector represents a significant opportunity with the prospect of £4.8 billion for Welsh businesses and over 3,000 jobs.
The task and finish group has now set out key recommendations, including:
- Establishing a forum by autumn 2025 where project developers, government, and other key partners to enable better coordination between stakeholders, helping to maximise local benefits from new wind farms in the Celtic Sea.
- Streamlining the planning and consent process, reducing delays and providing developers with a clear roadmap of requirements through improved coordination between parties to significantly accelerate project timelines and reduce costs.
- Implementing targeted support for Welsh businesses to enter the offshore wind supply chain, with particular focus on connecting SMEs with larger companies to transform this untapped potential into actual business opportunities, particularly in areas of existing strength like project management and engineering.
- Coordinating skills development initiatives across educational institutions to address the sector-specific skills gap in areas like wind turbine technology and high-voltage electrical engineering so local communities can access the high-quality jobs created.
- Integrating the Welsh steel and concrete sectors with offshore wind development, particularly for floating offshore wind foundations and substructures.
For further information please select the following link: Supporting offshore wind to power economic growth and create jobs | GOV.WALES