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Cumbria’s Offshore Energy Expertise

Welcome to Cumbria, it offers you one of Northwest England’s most mature offshore energy industrial bases serving UK and Global markets and a pipeline of top skills. Our Clean Energy Strategy summarises current and emerging opportunities, read it at: https://www.thecumbrialep.co.uk/resources/uploads/pages/net_zero/2208-CumbriaCleanEnergyStrategy.pdf Our core offers to industry covers:

Mature Operating Experience

The ports of Barrow and Workington have serviced offshore wind for 18 years delivering survey, construction, operations and maintenance for Irish Sea wind farms since 2005. The infrastructure, facilities, skills and supply chain partner companies embedded locally are available to service your needs over the next 60 years.

 

UK and Global Reach

Cumbria has a long history of manufacturing and servicing development of offshore energy around the UK coast and globally. Our expertise delivers design and simulation resources for floating offshore oil rigs to floating wind turbines , to subsea transmission of electrical power and condition monitoring. An established energy generation, electrical power transmission and subsea industrial base, one of the most productive workforces in terms of GVA per hour worked in Northern England and major players in the industry based in the County mean you will be able to benefit from expertise evolved since the 1970s now available in companies such as Siemens Energy, Siemens Gamesa, Orsted, Vattenfall, RWE, One Subsea, Acrastyle, Bender UK, Njord, Windcat, Northern Offshore Services, Bay Towage, Brimstone Enterprises SOA Safety

 

Expert skills to get things done

A huge concentration of manufacturing industry and skills underpins the specialist offshore wind skills located in Cumbria where some 350 are directly involved in operating five E. Irish Sea offshore windfarms. Project management, control technician and industrial skills concentrated at Barrow in Orsted ‘s West Coast Hub, at Vattenfall and at RWE’s port of Workington facility are available. Specialist port handling is available through ABP and Cumbria County Council port operators. Furness College delivers apprentice technician training for Orsted and Spririt Energy, with work at heights training in Kendal. International operators from Taiwan and elsewhere now look to Cumbria for training their new technical teams alongside existing operations.

 

Mature Supply Chains

  • Suppliers in Cumbria have served global energy markets since 1970s.
  • Engineering, safety, project management electronics and electrical suppliers are available.
  • Since 2005 a sub-regional supply chain of 189 companies has evolved.
  • Local quarries are short distance inland support rock armour and scour protection.
  • ABP’s Port of Barrow and the Port of Workington are vastly experienced in supporting offshore energy projects have met the needs of offshore wind projects for 18 years and East Irish Sea gas projects since the late 1970s
  • SOV capacity complements daily crew change boat (CCV) fleet operations servicing five windfarms with turbine.
  • A heli-base exists to support windfarms in deeper water.
  • Port of Barrow accommodates ships of tonnes, 35m beam 10m draught and 150m length. 2690m (1.67 miles) of quay length, HGV and Rail access available.#
  • Port of Workington accommodates ships of tonnes, 20.4m beam draught and 132.7m length, 772.7m (0.47 miles) quay length available, entrance width 21.04m. HGV and Rail access available.

 

Sites for growing companies

  • Industrial sites are available at and adjacent to both ports at Barrow Waterfront Business Park and Waterfront Gateway Managed Business Centre. At Workington Oldside north of the port complements LillyHall industrial estate and West Lakes Science Park.

 

Ease of access

  • Manchester is the region’s international gateway airport. Liverpool is the second gateway.
  • Barrow and Blackpool heliports can provide direct support offshore
  • Direct rail links to Manchester from Barrow are complemented by west coast main line services to Scotland London south west England, North Wales and Merseyside
  • The M6 Motorway, A590 to Barrow A6 to Workington provide links via the M62 to east coast offshore wind ports and the M55 to North Wales

 

Business Support for incoming and expanding companies

  • Skills and Apprentice training – Furness College 01229 825017
  • Barrow Business support scheme – Cumbria Chamber of Commerce
  • Inward Investment – Jennie Stein, Enterprising Cumbria

Key contacts

ABP’s Port of Barrow – Chris Clouter, Port Manager 01229 822911
Enterprising Cumbria – Jennie Stein, Head of Net Zero 07756 874014
Port of Workington –  Ben Meil, Port Manager 01900 602301
Furness College –  Nicola Cove Principal and CEO 01229 825017