Renewable energy giant Ørsted has marked a decade of its involvement in offshore wind on the Humber with an economic impact report underlining its role in the region.
From humble beginnings in temporary accommodation, it now operates from a £14 million state-of-the-art base below the iconic Dock Tower in Grimsby.
While it may not have been the first off the rank, having followed Centrica’s early near-shore foray with Lynn, Inner Dowsing and Lincs - from 2007 onwards - it has picked up the baton when it came to cluster development - with members of the team helping drive regional and national strategy and policy as it emerged as the single largest owner operator.
Read more: £400m deal agreed for Hornsea One offshore wind farm investment stake by UK fund
And analysis of its role - having arrived as Dong before a name change to reflect the Danish multinational’s exit from oil and natural gas - has highlighted the importance.
Orsted said it has invested or enabled the investment of £9.5 billion into the area, with another £14 billion due in the next 10 years.
Investment to come will sustain at least 760 jobs in supply chain companies, 7,500 in construction roles, and 1,100 roles across the broader economy.
Duncan Clark, Orsted’s lead executive in the UK, opened an event held to mark the release and the incredible decade. He said: “We’ve gone from strength to strength in the UK and it couldn’t be done without our amazing colleagues. We’re proud to say our future wind farm developments here are on track to more than triple our current capacity making a major contribution to the UK government’s 2030 ambition of 50GW of offshore wind.
“This is equivalent to one in four homes in the UK being powered by Ørsted from assets off the Humber, by 2030.”
The economic impact report also highlights how the company has invested more than £45 million directly into local community, education, and skills development in the Humber region, with the likes of the Teach First initiative and a £1 million donation to the Grimsby’s Horizon Youth Zone, with significant further investments planned.
The growth of the UK supply chain has also been bolstered with £4.5bn invested and a further £8.6 billion expected over the next decade.
Darren Ramshaw, head of East Coast Region for Ørsted, added: ‘The East Coast Hub is a modern space that currently supports the six operational offshore wind farms developed by Ørsted over the last decade. Over the next decade, we have the ambition it will develop two more. Just last year, we launched our visitor’s centre that has already seen several schools bring students to visit and learn about the renewable sector.
“We’re proud to have the largest operations and maintenance facility operating out of Grimsby on the Humber.”
Hornsea Two is closing in on taking the title of world’s largest offshore wind farm as commissioning is completed on the latest build. Hornsea Three and Four are lined up to follow, with Orsted now behind Lincs, Westermost Rough, Race Bank and current world leader, Hornsea One. There’s also an eye on Gunfleet Sands, off the Suffolk coast, from the base.
Patrick Harnett, vice president, added: ‘Over the past two years our teams have been working tirelessly with contractors and suppliers to build the next world’s largest wind farm. Hornsea Two is a great feat of planning, construction, and engineering. The wind farm will take over sister project Hornsea One as the largest offshore wind farm and combined they will be able to power over 2.3 million homes. “Well done to all involved, you really are putting Humber at the heart of a global industry.”
The event closed with a video featuring Ethan Ginley, the Humberston primary school pupil who was special guest at last year’s visitor centre opening, having written an early covering letter for prospective future employment to Mr Clark during lockdown, pulling on the heartstrings of the entire organisation.
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