Xodus Group and BW Research Partnership will conduct a major research project to assess the local and regional supply chain in support of the growing offshore wind industry in and around Massachusetts.
Working on behalf of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (“MassCEC”), Xodus and BW Research, in coordination with Greentree Consulting and the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership, will deliver a comprehensive offshore wind supply chain assessment and gap analysis. This will be based on the requirements of both developers and tier one companies, and the capabilities, qualifications and interest of Massachusetts companies and neighbouring states.
With much of the offshore wind facilities currently manufactured and produced overseas, MassCEC is supporting efforts to develop a robust local supply chain in Massachusetts and throughout the region that can manufacture and produce turbine components and associated equipment at a scale necessary to serve planned and anticipated offshore wind projects.
Such measures aim to help the industry improve efficiency and reduce costs as the scale of development grows, while helping local communities further realise the economic benefits associated with offshore wind.
Jamie MacDonald, Xodus’ director of operations in Boston said: “Our outreach campaign will provide an in-depth assessment of the offshore wind supply chain to identify the strengths of Massachusetts and neighbouring states. This is a big step in the right direction in working towards a multi-state regional supply chain cluster, offering the industry a wide network and the best of what each state has to offer. We aim to create a local sustainable supply chain to ensure offshore wind as an industry can be more efficient in the future, providing significant economic impacts for the region.
“Overall, our mission is to deliver a responsible energy future. This means achieving a future where energy projects are sustainable from a technical, social, environmental, ethical and economic perspective. Working with MassCEC will be an important part of enabling this future energy transition.”
MassCEC’s 2018 Massachusetts Offshore Wind Workforce Assessment found the estimated direct impact (development and construction) of 1,600 MW of offshore wind energy on state economic output ranges from $675 to $800 million. The assessment further estimated indirect (supply chain) impacts of $360 to $775 million, and a total economic impact between $1.4 billion to $2.1 billion (direct, indirect, and induced).
“Massachusetts is committed to supporting the expansion and development of the local and regional supply chain to meet the needs of the growing offshore wind industry,” said Steve Pike, MassCEC CEO. “To do so, we need more detailed understanding of the specific capabilities that exist in Massachusetts and the region, and we are pleased that Xodus and BW Research will bring their experience and expertise to help Massachusetts companies capture as much of this new business opportunity as possible.”
