Offshore Renewables

Opportunities exist all over the country, not just near the coast and many companies have offices overseas so there are opportunities for travel. There are a vast number of areas of employment from working outdoors at a renewables site, in a laboratory or in an office. 

The employment opportunities in this area can best be described by the lifecycle of a marine renewable energy installation. Typical stages of this lifecycle are:  

Research & Design – People working in this area are usually scientists, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers or technicians. They are often working on innovative and exciting technologies. In addition, there are often roles for sales managers who can be dealing with sales of hundreds of millions of pounds worth of technical equipment. 

Development and Consenting – A project developer leads the whole process and is normally one of the big energy utility companies seeking to build and operate a renewable energy site which might be an offshore wind farm, or an array of devices to capture energy from the tide or waves. Development managers work for these companies on areas such as site identification and consenting and licensing. As part of the process, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a requirement. This involves collecting and analysing all the necessary environmental information so the effect that the installation may have on the natural habitat and animals that live in, or use, the area can be understood. The developer also needs to collect information on the oceanographic conditions as they will affect construction and operation.  

Technical Analysis – People working in this area often have advanced IT skills including those who develop software, carry out analysis of data, and use a number of specialist computer programmes. Technical analysis typically includes environmental analysis and marine science, and aerodynamicists (for wind turbines) or hydrodynamicists (for marine devices) are key at this stage to enable the development, construction and operation of offshore renewable energy facilities. 

Construction and Installation – The construction and installation process includes a huge number of people with a variety of trade and technical skills including, for example, welders, pipe fitters, platters, electricians, mechanical fitters and riggers, and vessel operatives. Many of the skills involved are similar to those in the offshore oil and gas sector and many of the companies involved work in both sectors. Opportunities also exist for construction managers whose role will involve being both office-based but also spending time on installation vessels to check the project’s progress. 

Operation and Maintenance – After many years of planning, construction and testing, an offshore renewables installation is ready to produce electricity. At this point job opportunities exist for engineers and technicians to work on maintaining the infrastructure through the life of the equipment and site. There are also jobs for skippers of offshore vessels who ferry workers and equipment to and from the sites and for deck crew who assist in the operation of the work boats. Back on land, asset managers are responsible for the long-term health of the wind farm or other installations that their company owns. This role often involves the management of assets worth hundreds of millions of pounds. 

This is an exciting field perfect for adventurous people. If you work offshore you might need good sea legs and will need to be prepared to face wind, waves and rough weather. Fitness, stamina and a good head for heights can be important whilst being responsible and safety conscious are also a key part of the job. However, don’t be put off if you don’t have any experience of working offshore or at heights – there are training courses especially designed to train people working in this field. And, of course, there are also plenty of office and land-based roles available. 

There are opportunities for both non-graduates and graduates in the offshore renewables sector. Roles in R&D often require specialist qualifications to PhD level. Roles in development and consenting often require graduate qualifications either in a specialist marine renewables course or in oceanography, hydrology, geology, marine biology or environmental science. Roles in manufacturing, technical sales, and asset and project management often require a strong technical background and usually a graduate qualification in an engineering discipline. Other routes include through vocational qualifications such as HND and HNCs. Finally, as in other areas of manufacturing, your career can start straight from school or college with many companies running apprenticeship programmes. Apprentices need strong practical and technical skills with good GCSEs in science and maths. 

Many governments are seeking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions with wind, wave and tidal stream energy technology being used to decarbonise energy supply, increase energy security and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. This means that the opportunities in this field are increasing. In the UK alone, over 500 companies engage in wind and marine energy related activities and activities in other countries are also growing in this area. Universities are developing specialist courses in marine and offshore renewable energy and many companies are developing apprenticeships and graduate training programmes. 

Renewable  

The Crown Estate