Britain's renewable energy plans could be blown off course b a lack of vessels for building offshore wind farms.
The UK government has called for the installation of 32 gigawatts of offshore wind-power capacity by 2020, or enough to meet a quarter of the country's electricity needs. But
, investment in the required specialised vessels has lagged investment in turbine factories and ports.
"The targets are very ambitious and the supply chain isn't there for it to materialise," Ian Johnson, the head of E.ON UK's Robin Rigg wind project, told the news agency.
The situation presents an opportunity for shipbuilders as far away as the Gulf.
In February,
, the UAE oilfield services firm
, which has yards in Dubai and Sharjah, won two contracts worth US$320.4 million (Dh1.18 billion) from the Norwegian firm
to design, build and deliver two wind turbine installation vessels.
Investors who sent Lamprell's stock up sharply seemed to think this was a smart move, as the British government had awarded contracts for the construction of nine offshore wind farms just a month earlier. Mr Johnson's recent comments confirm that.
Ships used to install huge wind turbines in relatively shallow water resemble the "jack-up" rigs used to produce oil and gas in the Gulf. They have extensible legs that can prop the ship above the sea surface, transforming it into a work platform.
Needless to say, the Gulf's oilfield services companies have a wealth of experience in designing and building such vessels.
Look for more "green" orders to keep wind in their sails.
