23 June 2025
Dr Steve Freeman joined Garrett Morrison from Source Galileo to attended the South West Business Council Annual Dinner in Plymouth on Thursday evening. A fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded businesses and key regional stakeholders, all united by a shared ambition for clean energy leadership and sustainable economic growth across the South West.
The event celebrated regional achievements and strengthened relationships across business, academia and local government. Discussions focused on the growing potential for future offshore wind seabed leasing off the Devon and Dorset coast. With Round 5 in the nearby Celtic Sea set to deliver up to 4.5 GW of floating offshore wind, enough to power more than four million homes, the South West’s waters are set to play a vital role in the UK’s offshore wind expansion.
Steve is helping to advance Source Galileo’s PortWind ambition through a sustained groundswell of support built on collaboration and shared values. PortWind forms a central part of the Dorset Clean Energy Super Cluster – a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock new clean energy capacity, accelerate regional growth and strengthen the UK’s long-term energy independence.
Meeting the government’s 50 GW by 2030 offshore wind target will require around £15 billion in private investment each year and significant new regional port capacity, giving the South West a key role in enabling delivery.
The offshore wind supply chain already contributes over £10 billion annually to the UK economy and supports more than 32,000 jobs. This figure is expected to rise to 120,000 by 2030 as new projects come online. With its combined industrial base, maritime expertise and port infrastructure, the region is well positioned to capture a meaningful share of this opportunity.
Realising this potential will depend on continued collaboration and community support – qualities that have long defined the South West’s approach to economic growth and innovation.
A big thank you to Paul Coles and the South West Business Council for hosting such a brilliant evening and for continuing to champion the region’s role at the forefront of the UK’s clean energy transition.
