Anyone passing through Belfast on the M3 or perhaps visiting the Titanic museum might notice some strange structures sitting in and around Harland and Wolff’s David and Goliath. Now owned by Norway’s Fred. Olsen Energy, the famous shipyard, that has had some trying times since its heyday of building some of the most luxurious liners in the world, is experiencing something of a renaissance.

An offshore oil platform sitting up out of the water is an intriguing thing, at once of a different world and very much integral to our own. It might not look out of place as a set for a sci-fi project coming out of Titanic Studios. However, beyond these very visible specimens often seen today in the docks, there is something else going on that perhaps sneaks under the radar a little bit: a growing contribution to the offshore wind industry.

Having already assembled turbines for Denmark-based turbine manufacturer MHI Vestas, Harland and Wolff has been increasing activity in the manufacture of the foundations for offshore wind turbines. Indeed, the company has recently been playing a fundamental role in the manufacture of mono-bucket foundation technology that is due to be installed for two turbines at the Deutsche Bucht Wind farm in Germany – an industry first and something that Universal Foundation, the company behind the mono-bucket, believes can have a revolutionary effect for offshore wind.

What does a mono-bucket do? In short, it allows huge offshore wind turbines standing over 200 metres tall and with rotor diameters in excess of 160 metres to be installed, and then to operate successfully for longer than 25 years, but with an economy on steel usage estimated at 20-25% and less disruption to the seabed compared to a regular foundation. This is highly innovative, technically challenging technology, demanding the highest quality levels, being manufactured and exported across Europe from Belfast. What’s not to love about that?

So why this long anecdote in an article about renewable energy and its future in Northern Ireland? Because renewable energy is not only about tariff costs and emissions targets, but it is also about job creation and can sometimes even bring revival or renewal to industries and regions. As such, when thinking about the future of this technology in Northern Ireland, we would be missing something if a more strategic view is not taken into account.

Given how renewable energy fits into our electricity systems today and how these are evolving as governmental emissions targets become tighter and costs come down, its growth is projected to continue. Offshore technology like that being manufactured at Harland and Wolff is playing an increasingly large role in this evolution.

Looking solely at renewable generation targets for electricity consumption, Northern Ireland as a region is already not doing too badly, with a recent government report stating that for the year ending in March 2017 around 35.2% of electricity demand in Northern Ireland was met from renewable sources (about 83.4% of this from onshore wind), with growth expected to continue. However, with the UK, the Republic of Ireland and the rest of Europe having to race to catch up on emissions reductions and renewable generation targets, it does not take complex analysis to understand that renewable energy is here to stay and grow.

To meet even the current targets will require continued construction of new renewable generation capacity. Simply growing this base will necessitate job creation, but with some ambitious and collaborative thinking, is there more than that?

Although Northern Ireland is unlikely to be a major contributor in terms of generation sites to the offshore space, as the example of Harland and Wolff shows, this does not mean the region should not play an active role. Further south in the Irish Sea is expected to be more of a focus area and the Republic of Ireland is in the process of launching a new renewable energy programme that will see significant development of offshore wind capacity.

Why should Belfast not be an integral part of that supply chain? Daring to think bigger again, could somewhere like Derry follow the example of Aberdeen where local, national and European organisations have combined to develop a European offshore wind development centre?

Northern Ireland’s renewable energy policy should be focused on maximising opportunities to exploit what Harland and Wolff has shown possible – that the skills, expertise and capacity are in Northern Ireland to contribute constructively and positively, stimulating local industry and export potential.

Coordinated policy making and the industry being placed front and centre of government strategy for the economy, could make the future for renewable energy in Northern Ireland be more than simply breaking through the 40% of electricity generation barrier. It can be more innovation and jobs at the same time – for a region with such rich engineering heritage and a need for growth, that opportunity should not be missed. Renewable energy policy is never going to be the panacea for our environmental issues nor a magic fix for jobs and the economy, but it can be a great platform for reaching the ambitious targets we should be setting ourselves on each.

 

For an in-depth overview of the electricity market in Northern Ireland, read Daniel’s recent article: ‘Keeping the lights on’.