22 May 2025
Dr Steve Freeman, Strategy and Stakeholder Manager for Source Galileo’s PortWind project, joined key industry and public sector leaders at the launch of the Dorset Clean Energy Super Cluster during UKREiiF – the UK’s leading real estate and investment showcase held in Leeds.
The launch event, chaired by Tom Hayes MP, the Government’s Energy Mission Champion, received full support from Dorset Council and the Great South West partnership. Representatives from across the Super Cluster highlighted the reawakening of Dorset’s historic energy sector and the region’s significant potential to lead the transition to a clean growth economy.
Building on the legacy of Portland’s deep-water port and Dorset’s long standing ties to the defence sector, the region is establishing a strong foundation to energise the South Coast and support the wider South West’s energy and defence ambitions.
The Dorset Clean Energy Super Cluster is a nationally significant platform for large-scale, high-impact and low carbon projects. The panel discussed how it positions Dorset as a key player in the UK’s offshore wind and clean energy future, highlighting that this place-based initiative represents a new model for regional transformation. Showing how clean energy can stimulate economic renewal, industrial diversification and community benefit far beyond traditional offshore wind development.
“This is about building a future where clean energy not only powers our economy but also drives opportunity, skills and pride of place,” said Dr Freeman.
Nationally, the Industrial Growth Plan (IGP) is targeting £25 billion in UK GVA by focusing on manufacturing at scale and drawing local SMEs into the supply chain. So far, the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP) has supported over 250 businesses through funding and business support. In addition, The Crown Estate’s plan to invest up to £400 million in a supply-chain investment programme for ports and related facilities signals how targeted upgrades can unlock projects and jobs across coastal communities.
These national initiatives set the framework for regional delivery and Dorset’s Clean Energy Super Cluster is one of the clearest examples of how this can work in practice. With a place-based model at its core, the Super Cluster aims to capture value where it’s created. More than a collection of projects, it represents a blueprint for how place-based industrial strategy can deliver tangible social and economic value.
