19 June 2025
At Renewable Energy Partners, collaboration is central to how we deliver impact – so it was a pleasure to work alongside Source Galileo, a leading renewable energy developer, at RUK Global Offshore Wind 2025.
“Our shared mission was clear” said Dr Steve Freeman – Founding Director of Renewable Energy Partners. “We’re here to promote the deployment of offshore wind across the UK and Ireland, with a focus on new seabed leasing opportunities in the offshore waters of the South West.”
While there was strong alignment at the conference with RenewableUK’s Mission: Possible campaign, turning strategy into projects will require a reframing of offshore wind. Not just as a clean energy technology, but as a politically agile, commercially flexible and inclusive delivery partner for the UK’s industrial future.
The UK Government’s Industrial Strategy (2025) and its Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan aim to convert readiness into delivery, boosting business investment and productivity through greater regulatory certainty, faster planning and targeted R&D. Amongst the many ambitions, the UK wants to double private investment to £30 billion annually by 2035.
Through sustained investment in clean power, the UK seeks to strengthen energy security by expanding domestic capacity and reducing import dependence. Offshore wind will be central to this effort, forming a key pillar of the UK’s industrial renewal.
As this national ambition translates into delivery, the economic potential is equally significant. Every gigawatt of new offshore wind deployed in the UK is projected to contribute £2–3 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the economy. This growth unlocks major opportunities for regional industrial clusters built around ports, fabrication yards and clean energy supply chains.
It reflects a place-based ambition to ensure investment capital is channelled where it’s needed most. An approach echoed by The Crown Estate’s recent Regional Growth Prospectus, which highlights multi-billion-pound manufacturing and servicing opportunities for coastal regions.
Together, targeted investment can help convert ambition into action, enabling offshore wind to anchor long-term industrial regeneration across the UK.
At the opening session of the conference, The Crown Estate signalled renewed momentum for floating offshore wind with a new frontier for growth in the Celtic Sea. These are important signals that advance the South West’s offshore wind ambitions and build on the groundswell of public and private support taking shape across the region.
The Dorset Clean Energy Super Cluster is a prime example – a regional partnership that brings together industry, local government and research to accelerate investment in offshore wind, green hydrogen, carbon storage and port infrastructure.
The region is also benefiting from a wave of strategic prospectuses that further strengthen the case for clean energy investment:
Taken together, these growth plans and regional strategies point to a definite conclusion:
With consensus on strategic direction, the next step is to sustain momentum through future seabed leasing rounds that include opportunities in the South West and enable deep-fixed developments to complement the UK’s floating future.
“The South West is ready to deliver,” said Dr Freeman. “It’s about turning planning and ambition into action.”
