Export Nation a Year in UK Wind, Wave and Tidal Exports
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www.RenewableUK.com Export Nation A Year in UK Wind, Wave and Tidal Exports April 2017 RenewableUK RenewableUK is the not-for-profit trade association representing the onshore and offshore wind, wave and tidal energy industries and their supply chains, with over 400 member companies based throughout the county, from large multinationals to small businesses. Cover image: CWind Export Nation: A Year in UK Wind, Wave and Tidal Exports 1 Contents Introduction ________________________________________________________________________________ 2 Export Nation: Facts and Figures ____________________________________________________________ 4 Export Nation in Numbers ___________________________________________________________________ 5 World Exports in 2016 _________________________________________________________________________8 World Exports: the UK and Europe in 2016 ____________________________________________________ 10 Export Nation: the Companies Doing Business Overseas ______________________________________ 11 Conclusion _________________________________________________________________________________ 20 Credit: innogy Export Nation: A Year in UK Wind, Wave and Tidal Exports 2 Introduction A global trading nation Industrial-scale benefits Our Global Future The UK has a long and proud tradition The renewable energy industry is The international renewable energy as a global trading nation, exporting already providing industrial-scale market is, increasingly, where goods, expertise and services around benefits for the UK, with onshore and much of the smart money is going. the world, looking outwards and offshore wind, wave and tidal energy Bloomberg New Energy Finance seeking new markets further afield to projects being built around the country, reported that $287.5bn was invested bring economic benefits back home. revitalising communities, growing our in clean energy worldwide in 2016.3 domestic supply chain and maintaining This represents a massive global As we prepare to leave the European Britain’s world-leading reputation for economic opportunity for the UK, and Union, breaking into fresh markets in research and innovation. we are seizing it. So too are global every continent becomes even more companies previously associated with important if we are to secure our The UK wind industry has an annual fossil fuels. The Chief Executive of future economic prosperity. turnover of more than £5.9 billion in Royal Dutch Shell, Ben van Beurden, direct economic activity, according to described the growth of renewable the Office for National Statistics.1 This energy as unstoppable, and said Wind and Marine Energy – rises to over £11.3 billion when indirect that the company plans to gradually A British success story economic activity is included. Offshore lift spending on clean technology as wind alone is bringing over £20 billion the world reduces its dependence We are exporting our renewable in investment to Britain over the on fossil fuels. He said the transition energy technology and expertise not course of this decade.2 The renewable to cleaner forms of energy would only to other parts of Europe, but energy sector is an important financial continue irrespective of US policy.4 also to the Americas, Africa, Asia contributor to UK plc. and Australasia – to every continent BP has stated that renewables apart from Antarctica. This is a British Businesses and factories have will be the fastest-growing energy success story which deserves to be opened in parts of the UK which source over the next 20 years, with told, as many outside the sector are need new opportunities, offering an average annual expansion of 7%, unaware of the extent of our progress. apprenticeships to entrants to resulting in a quadrupling of supply the labour market, and retraining by 2035.5 The inexorable transition to In the first document of its kind, this for workers who bring valuable low-carbon is proceeding around the report shows an illustrative sample of experience from other sectors such world. The export opportunities for 36 UK-based companies operating as the oil and gas industries. We are the United Kingdom which flow from in the wind and marine energy sector exporting hundreds of small onshore this will increase exponentially in the which exported products and services wind turbines made in Britain each decades ahead. to 43 countries in one year: 2016. year. Siemens’ offshore wind turbine production and installation facilities This is based not only on publicly- at Alexandra Dock in Hull, and MHI announced contracts, but also on Vestas Offshore Wind’s blade factory market intelligence provided to us on the Isle of Wight, are examples via an in-house survey of member of the UK’s low-carbon economy in companies by RenewableUK. action. The marine energy industry has provided an economic lifeline to Cornwall, Wales and the Scottish Highlands and Islands. 1. ONS Statistical Bulletin (published 29th November 2016) | www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/finalestimates/totalactivity2014 2. “Delivering UK Energy Investment” (July 2014) Department of Energy & Climate Change | www.gov.uk/government/publications/delivering-uk-energy- investment-2014 3. BNEF Clean Energy Investment End of Year 2016 | https://about.bnef.com/clean-energy-investment/ 4. Financial Times (2nd February 2017) “Shell confident Trump will not derail renewable energy growth” by Energy Editor Andrew Ward. 5. BP Energy Outlook 2017 | www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/energy-economics/energy-outlook-2017/bp-energy-outlook-2017.pdf Export Nation: A Year in UK Wind, Wave and Tidal Exports 3 Credit: Colin Keldie, courtesy of EMEC - Scotrenewables Industrial Strategy UK wind and marine companies are determined to maximise the benefits from the global renewables expansion and are working with the Department for International Trade on this. A strong domestic market provides a foundation for them to expand further. Renewable energy companies are heavy lifters in the UK economy and it is important that the upcoming Industrial Strategy recognises this. The UK’s decision to leave the European Union inevitably creates some uncertainty for companies, but the sector is committed to looking forward to future opportunities. With a robust domestic market and support to continue trading internationally, the wind and marine sector can carry on exporting British expertise across the world and increase activity in the decades ahead. Export Nation: A Year in UK Wind, Wave and Tidal Exports 4 Export Nation: Facts and Figures The top 10 most frequent export ranged widely in value, from £50,000 Glasgow and London. It provides destinations in 2016 for the UK based up to £30 million each. Typical consultancy services for renewable wind and marine energy companies contracts were worth between £1 energy developers and investors included in this report were, in order million and £5 million. throughout the lifecycle of their of importance, Germany, the USA, projects, from the feasibility stage, Denmark, Ireland, Australia, Canada, through the design and construction Sweden, France, Singapore and The diversity of the UK period to the operational phase. It Taiwan, showing wind and marine wind and marine energy won offshore wind, wave and tidal companies have strong reach right supply chain energy contracts in 2016 in Canada, across the globe. In total, our sample China, Taiwan, India, Turkey, of 36 companies exported goods or The 2016 contracts highlighted in Denmark, Sweden, Singapore and services to 43 countries. this report cover an extraordinary the Philippines. variety of goods and services, UK-based companies won onshore including supplying and maintaining Another example is Aquatera based in wind contracts in 28 countries, tidal large, medium and small onshore Orkney which exported its expertise energy contracts in 19 countries, wind turbines and components, on developing wind, wave and tidal offshore wind contracts in 18 countries installing offshore wind turbines and energy projects to Chile, China, and wave energy contracts in 11 underwater power cables, inspecting Colombia, Ireland, Indonesia, Japan, countries. It is notable that, of the four and maintaining offshore wind farms, Mauritius, Peru, the Philippines, technologies which RenewableUK providing helicopters, crew and vessels Singapore and the USA last year. represents, within this study it is for the offshore wind sector, developing onshore wind that offers the highest wave and tidal energy projects and number of export destinations. Having providing components for the marine a stronger domestic onshore wind energy industry, conducting geological market would allow companies to surveys, weather forecasting, expand, boosting our ability to export monitoring wildlife, and providing even further – a point which should be financial and legal services. considered in the Government’s future energy policy. This is a story not just about large multinational companies building The 36 companies featured signed factories and employing substantial 557 export contracts in 2016, and workforces here. It is also about worked on a total of 527 renewable smaller companies throughout energy projects overseas. These the UK. For example, Renewable range from individual orders for Advice Limited, established in 2008 small onshore turbines to multi- and based in Winchester, inspects million pound deals to provide and repairs onshore and offshore massive components and heavy-duty wind turbine blades. In 2016 it won infrastructure for offshore wind farms. contracts for