Supply chain boost as wind industry backs revamped Pathfinder

• Scottish Renewables and RenewableUK encouraging members to advertise contracts on Energy Pathfinder

• Online portal relaunched with host of new features and dedicated sections for promoting offshore and onshore wind

• Pathfinder fast becoming vital energy transition tool for suppliers

The UK’s energy supply chain has received a major boost after two leading clean-energy trade bodies – each with hundreds of members – provided input and support to a relaunched online platform for advertising lucrative contracts.

The North Sea Transition Authority’s (NSTA) new and improved Energy Pathfinder portal has been backed by Scottish Renewables and RenewableUK, who have started actively encouraging members to promote contracting opportunities for wind energy projects on the platform. The initiative is also being supported by the joint government and industry bodies, the Offshore Wind Industry Council and the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council. 

The announcement coincides with the launch of the revamped Pathfinder portal today (17 June) at RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind conference in London, where industry professionals will have a chance to see the platform in action during a dedicated session.

Pathfinder answers the supply chain’s calls for a clearer picture of upcoming work both onshore and in the North Sea, which enables them to invest in skills and technologies with confidence and ensure that resources are available when needed.

Originally launched in 2010 to help offshore service companies target opportunities for work on oil and gas field developments, Pathfinder has expanded in recent years and now also hosts details of well decommissioning campaigns, operations and maintenance programmes and increasing numbers of energy transition projects, including carbon storage.

Pathfinder currently hosts information for more than 20 offshore wind projects, which, following the upgrade to the portal, are now clearly categorised as floating or fixed-bottom. With Scottish Renewables’ and RenewableUK’s support in enhancing Pathfinder, the portal provides more specific information about these technologies and their associated contracts. With these improvements in place, it is hoped that more wind energy developers will use the portal, creating a focal point for the industry. As a result, the supply chain will gain greater visibility of opportunities to tender for contracts across the energy sector, diversify their customer base and use their knowledge and experience to support ambitious government deployment targets for clean power.

Stuart Payne, Chief Executive of the NSTA, said: “The UK’s offshore supply chain has the skills and expertise to service all areas of the UK energy sector, and make the transition a reality. That’s why it’s such good news that Pathfinder now has more opportunities in the wind sector, creating a one-stop shop for upcoming contracts.”

Jane Cooper, RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive, said: “Growing the UK’s onshore and offshore wind supply chains are key priorities for our industry to ensure that we take full advantage of the economic opportunities that the transition to renewable energy offers our country. The upgraded Pathfinder portal will help developers to get in touch with suppliers more easily, which will create opportunities for more products and services to come from companies based in the UK. The potential for growth is enormous - the offshore wind industry’s supply chain could triple in size over the next 10 years, creating 10,000 extra jobs and boosting the UK’s economy by £25 billion, as identified in the sector’s Industrial Growth Plan. We’re working closely with the Offshore Wind Industry Council to achieve this huge expansion of our supply chain to provide world-class products and services for projects here and abroad, as well as looking at new measures to grow our onshore wind supply chain.”                    

Emma Harrick, Director of the Supply Chain and Energy Transition at Scottish Renewables, said: “Clean energy already supports 47,000 jobs in Scotland and as the industry continues to grow, so do opportunities for suppliers across Scotland and the UK.

“Scottish Renewables has worked closely with the Energy Pathfinder team and our members to tailor the portal for our industry. The portal now provides on and offshore wind businesses with clear visibility of available tender invitations while enabling developers to connect with a broader network of local companies.

“This marks a positive step forward in improving access to opportunities for the growing clean energy supply chain and we encourage not only project buyers but also tier 1 contractors and all levels of the supply chain ecosystem to make full use of the platform."

Pathfinder is a free, one-stop-shop for valuable information about opportunities to support scores of energy projects in the UK. Wind developers now regularly use the platform to advertise supply chain opportunities for a range of services, including consultancy, surveyance, engineering and design, logistics, fabrication and the provision of equipment, such as cables. It also links suppliers to the project procurement teams managing their respective contracts.

As part of the revamp, the offshore and onshore wind sectors now have dedicated space on Pathfinder to advertise opportunities to domestic suppliers, which in the case of onshore wind was a key objective of Scotland’s Onshore Wind Sector Deal.

The upgraded Pathfinder portal is now seamlessly integrated into the NSTA website for a better user experience and easier navigation, while a simplified page design means more information can be found with fewer clicks.

A colour-coded, dynamic map showing the locations of most of the 165 projects currently listed on Pathfinder has also been added, with support from software company Fivium. Users will benefit from enhanced search and filtering tools and in the future will be able to download data into Excel spreadsheets for easier internal analysis.

Operators and developers can also highlight challenges and seek solutions from the service sector. More than 1,700 subscribers receive monthly emails listing all recent updates on Pathfinder.