ScottishPower and Shell are looking at forming a new partnership with the National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA) to maximise the economic and job prospects associated with the development of floating offshore wind farms in Scottish waters.
The proposed Floating Wind Skills Accelerator will concentrate on the advantages of Scotland becoming a global leader in floating offshore wind projects such as ScottishPower’s MarramWind and Shell’s CampionWind.
Its goal is to guarantee that Scotland benefits from the shift to a cleaner, greener future.
Robert Gordon University, the University of Aberdeen, North East Scotland College, Energy Transition Zone Limited, and Skills Development Scotland are all partners in the Energy Transition Zone in Aberdeen.
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education workshops for primary and secondary schools, work experience, apprenticeships, and internships, graduate and returner programmes, and industrial placements could all be supported projects.
These activities could pave the road for students to progress from elementary school to a professional and long-term career in renewable energy.
Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower’s offshore director for the UK and Ireland, said “Commercial-scale floating offshore wind will revolutionise the energy sector – not just here in Scotland, but right across the world – and it’s vital we have the right people throughout the supply chain, with the right skills and capabilities, to make that happen.”
“Our skills partnership aims to do exactly that, whether helping people into the industry for the first time, growing and upskilling the supply chain to support floating wind, or supporting experienced colleagues to make the move from oil and gas into renewables.”
“We’re excited to be working with our partners Shell and NESA to develop the green workforce that will deliver a clean energy future for us all.”
Melissa Read, Shell UK Business Manager Offshore Wind, said “Shell aims to invest up to £25bn in the next decade in the UK’s energy system, including in ScotWind.”
“We want people in the north-east of Scotland to have a very real stake in the future these projects will create by equipping them with the right skills to play their part, here in Scotland and elsewhere.”
“Working with our partners ScottishPower and NESA will help us do just that.”
Professor Paul de Leeuw, National Energy Skills Accelerator chair, said: “NESA is delighted to work with ScottishPower and Shell to develop the floating offshore wind potential in the UK.”
“The NESA partners have extensive capabilities across the energy spectrum and are looking forward to playing their part to develop and upskill the energy workforce of the future.”
