The offshore wind industry continues to break expectations, even its own. After another record year in newly installed turbines, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) has adjusted its growth outlook by 16.7 percent. That’s 260GW more between today and 2030.
However, the offshore wind industry is still some ways away from meeting net zero goals. At the current rate of growth, the world will have 316GW in capacity by the end of the decade. It needs 380GW to achieve net zero, according to GWEC.
All that work is going to need people. And here, the industry is expected to struggle. Vattenfall AB, a leading developer in the sector, is only one of the companies expecting a shortfall in the workforce it needs to support its projects. “We’re talking about large investments…and, of course, all of this needs to be done by people. Here, we will see scarcity,” says Vattenfall AB CFO Kerstin Ahlfont.
A Tall Job Order
Building the workforce needed to support offshore’s massive push towards carbon neutrality is no small task. The sector will generate 500,000 new jobs by 2030, according to energy research firm Rystad. Professionals looking to get into the field will find that opportunities abound all over the globe.
The bulk of the demand will come from Europe, Asia, and the nascent yet rapidly growing US sector. Europe, where most of the largest and developed offshore wind markets can be found, will see its need for skilled professionals triple to 350,000.
In Asia, China remains offshore wind’s largest contributor to new power. Outside of the energy giant, emerging markets are expected to generate demand as local projects break ground. Taiwan, the second biggest producer of offshore wind energy after China, is expected to have a 20,000 strong offshore wind workforce by 2025. Japan predicts developments will create 80,000 to 90,000 new jobs by 2030.
In the US, the Biden administration is making ambitious strides to increase the competitiveness of its local offshore wind market. The nation, whose first offshore wind farm came online last 2016, has set goals to build 30GW of capacity by 2030. Should things go according to plan, these projects are expected to generate 77,000 jobs.
All the activity will create new openings along the entire supply chain of offshore wind energy, from construction to maintenance. Professionals looking for a career shift into green energy will find several opportunities in the following fields.
Opportunities By Sector
Manufacturing
The industry is in a build phase. Numerous projects are in the pipeline globally, spiking demand in industries directly related to the production of turbine components and related infrastructure. Over the next ten years, 80 percent of all jobs generated will come from construction and development.
This, despite recent instability caused by geopolitical conflict and logistical tangles. Europe’s turbine manufacturers are struggling with the rising cost of raw materials brought about by delays in shipping and the instability caused by Russia’s war with Ukraine. Vestas, one of the world’s largest manufacturers, plans to contract its workforce to weather the downturn.
However, the industry is expected to come out on top long-term, as rising electricity costs continue to outpace the price of producing turbines. By 2030, turbine manufacturing is still predicted to account for over half of all jobs created by the offshore wind industry. Foundation manufacturing and installation will create 8 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
Operation and Maintenance
As more farms come to life towards the middle of the decade, we’ll see the jobs market shift to more operational and maintenance (O&M) roles. Wind turbine service technicians will be in high demand, as well as technical specialists like underwater welders and subsea inspections operators.
In the UK, shortages of skilled staff are already creating bottlenecks. To address the growing gap, the government has launched the Green Jobs Taskforce. Among the initiative’s goals are to make green jobs more accessible through apprenticeships and help workers in oil and gas make the leap into green energy.
Data Analytics
Data and robotics will have an increasingly crucial role to play in turbine maintenance and maximising production. Predictive data can help operators prevent catastrophic equipment failure and optimise maintenance cycles. Analytics and spatial modelling helps developers like BP determine where best to place turbines for maximal yield.
As these technologies become even more complex and integrated, the offshore wind industry is going to need to bolster its ranks of data scientists and skilled engineers. Currently, the sector faces a shortage of engineers, particularly those with experience in robotics and artificial intelligence, high-voltage working, and offshore work itself.
Project Management
Wind farm installation and construction is a massive undertaking that spans several years. Hitting milestones and staying on schedule is integral for keeping costs within budget.
Project managers with the skills needed to efficiently head development will be in high demand, especially with net zero ambitions driving up the pressure to build more and build fast. Qualified professionals from the UK are already being snapped up by work in Asia and the USA, creating vacancies that the local sector is struggling to patch.
Hounded by a narrowing window to build the infrastructure needed to meet ambitious climate goals, it’s going to be a frantic couple of decades for offshore wind. Contractors with the requisite skills and oil and gas professionals looking to shift into the green industry will have little trouble finding a role within the hundreds of thousands of vacancies left to fill.
