Fully Funded "UK Global Business Accelerator" market visit to China to promote cooperation in offshore wind energy

Innovate UK is organising a fully funded Global Business Accelerator Programme, delivered by Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), which will see up to 15 high growth UK businesses operating in the offshore wind sector visit Qingdao on the 19th & 20th March 2018 and Jiangsu province on the 22nd & 23rd March 2018.

China has an ambitious target of developing 30 GW offshore wind energy by 2020 and R&D investments will reach 50 Billion yuan. China’s development of offshore wind farms is also supported by favorable government-backed pricing plans alongside the decision to cut the amount of money it pays to newly completed onshore wind mills for their electricity by 15%.

Jiangsu and Qingdao provinces are among the main areas of investment. Jiangsu has 1000 km of costal line (1/4 of total coastal areas in China), the world’s largest radial sand ridges, which provides optimal condition for offshore farms. In September 2017 has been announced that the largest offshore wind project in Asia (Huaneng Rudong) has been completed with 70 turbines and capacities of 4MW, 4.2MW and 5MW. This adds to other 10 farms recently completed and others are under construction. Qingdao has a coastline length of more than 800 km. Important investment plans are ongoing which should take to an offshore wind power installed capacity of 10000 MW.

The UK has 5.7GW installed or under construction, and is on track to deliver 10GW by 2020. UK companies are the world leaders in services for the design, development, financing, construction and operation of offshore wind plants. Suppliers like Siemens have already chosen the UK as the site for future world class manufacturing facilities. Active programmes of technological development have driven improvements in yields, reduction in costs and acceleration in deployment. This expertise is of significant interest to the Chinese market, as UK companies experience and skillsets could aid the support the aim of 30GW target production by 2020.

The UK companies selected to take part on this programme will operate across the entire life cycle of wind farm projects, from initial development through the supply chain of manufacturing components, as well as the operations and maintenance, including:

Wind farm design
Wind turbines design and manufacturing
Design of seafastening
Transition pieces
Secondary steel work
Substation design fabrication and installation
Foundation design and engineering
Grounding
Crew transfer services
Cable protection system
Array cable manufacturing
Training services
Preassembly of towers and turbines
Unexploded ordinance management
Inspection services
Financial services and models for offshore farms

Dates:

Application Deadline: 22nd January 2018

Applicants selection: 25th January 2018

Pre Event brief: Week commencing 12th March 2018

Event: 19th March 2018 – 23rd of March 2018

How to apply:

Please click above to register for the event. On registering you will receive an application form that you need to submit by 17:00 GMT on Monday 22nd January 2018.

Innovate UK will fund all costs associated to travel and accomodation for succesful applicants.

Please be aware that the confirmation of eventbrite registration does not mean that you have been accepted onto the mission. It is a competitive process, in which only 15 applicants will be successful, therefore the information provided on the the application form will be a key factor in the selection process for this programme. A list of successful applicants will be available by the 25th of January 2018.

For further information on the application process please contact: Richard Basgallop, Enterprise Europe Network, richard.basgallop@rtcnorth.co.uk Tel: 0113 468 9362

Global Business Accelerator Programme Offshore Wind Market Visit to China