OffshoreRenewables

Offshore wind sector to create over 500,000 new jobs by 2030: Rystad

While the Covid-19 downturn has seen widespread job losses in the oil and gas industry, energy intelligence firm Rystad Energy says demand for offshore wind staff will triple by the end of the decade.

From an estimated 297,000 full-time jobs in 2020, Rystad is expecting the offshore wind sector to employ around 868,000 full-time workers by the end of the decade.

Rystad bases its estimates on offshore wind installed capacity reaching 250 GW by 2030.

“This prolific growth will require a lot of skilled employees. In our analysis we have calculated the staffing needs in the number of full-time equivalent workers – one year of full-time employment for one person regardless of actual hours – and included only direct and indirect jobs driven by offshore wind capacity deployment globally,” the company explained.

Direct jobs relate to development manufacturing, construction, installation, and the operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms, while indirect jobs relate to materials and services consumed such as workers in steel plants supporting offshore wind turbines, electronics workers at companies supplying nacelle components, and staff of renewable energy regulatory institutions.

“Oil and gas workers will also benefit from this expected growth in offshore wind employment globally, as they share some skills sets and essential offshore knowledge. Offshore wind areas such as foundation manufacturing, offshore construction, project development, and O&M have been highly relevant to oil and gas operations,“ said Alexander Fløtre, Rystad Energy’s product manager for offshore wind.

Grant Rowles

Grant spent nine years at Informa Group based in London, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore. He gained strong management experience in publishing, conferences and awards schemes in the shipping and legal areas, working on a number of titles including Lloyd's List. In 2009 Grant joined Seatrade responsible for the commercial development of Seatrade’s Asia products. In 2012, with Sam Chambers, he co-founded Asia Shipping Media.

Comments

  1. The economics of offshore wind have been seriously questioned by Edinburgh University. Estimates of the time to recover the carbon expenditure for steel and concrete required per mast/turbine suggest that this will require 12 years of operation (Half life?).The associated costs of maintenance and grid connections also seems to be opaque. Who ultimately bears this cost. Would the sector really be viable without all sorts of sweetheart deals and the compliance of credulous politicians?

    Wind power is still an intermittent source of power. Ditto solar.

  2. These things rely on wind power, so they must sap energy from the wind. Perhaps in a 100 years time we will facing an ecological catastrophe as wind power has slowed down weather patterns so much northern Europe has been baked dry due to lack of clouds blowing in from the Atlantic due to the UK windmill Wall. Crazy but who knows

  3. And 90% In the offshore wind will go to Latvians who do not have to pay IR35 but are allowed to work on ships in British Waters, so what difference is it going to make to the seafarers of the uk… Apart from are jobs being taken, and most work for uk agencies.

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