Skip to content

IMCA calls for Offshore Wind Competitiveness Programme

Published on 8 February 2023

A week after launching the International Marine Contractors Association’s (IMCA’s) newly updated Renewables Contracting Principles (IMCA LCIC 014) with the call for industry collaboration essential to address supply chain losses, IMCA’s CEO, Allen Leatt spoke on 7 February at the Offshore Wind Journal Conference in London with one of his recommendations being the formation of LOWIC:  Leading Offshore Wind Industry Competitiveness programme, saying:

“IMCA is keen to contribute to this with others”.

In a hard-hitting presentation ‘Wind Targets at Risk’, he looked at offshore wind CAPEX, the difficult economic situation being faced by OEMs and contractors and the fact that increased costs put Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) at risk and at the possible reasons for the current state of affairs saying:

IMCA Contact

Allen Leatt
Chief Executive
Contact

“It is not sustainable, it requires an economic reset and normal returns by reducing costs with collaborative solutions and risk reallocation.

“This is nothing new” he said, looking back to the 1990s when a similar situation arose with oil and gas development at risk due to high costs. “This led to the creation of a new initiative – CRINE: Cost Reduction Initiative for the New Era which saw operators and contractors collaborating to take out unnecessary costs; and reallocation of project risk and reward. Leading to the formation of a LOGIC: Leading Oil & Gas Industry Competitiveness programme.

“What we need in the offshore wind industry is a new relationship amongst the wind stakeholders: government, developers, banks, insurers, OEMs, and contractors,” he added. “We need a LOWIC: Leading Offshore Wind Industry Competitiveness programme. We have taken the lead to start the dialogue and developed a set of 28 Contracting Principles for industry to use.

“Contractors are well used to taking project risks, which have limited upside but cannot have unlimited downside. For this industry to be sustainable it needs to be economically sustainable for all stakeholders.”

IMCA’s “At A Glance” publication on the Contracting Principles which was distributed to delegates at the event can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/fe25wk72

News Coverage

Date Article Source
23 February 2023 Warning that ‘loss making’ offshore wind contracts will see suppliers shift to oil Energy Voice
9 February 2023 ‘Unrealistic and unsustainable’ offshore wind contracts condemned Energy Voice
9 February 2023 IMCA calls for offshore wind competitiveness programme World of Renewables
9 February 2023 IMCA calls for offshore wind competitiveness programme Sea And Job
9 February 2023 IMCA calls for offshore wind competitiveness programme Energy Northern Perspective
9 February 2023 IMCA calls for offshore wind competitiveness programme World Ports Organization
8 February 2023 IMCA calls for offshore wind competitiveness programme Bunker Ports News Worldwide
8 February 2023 IMCA calls for offshore wind competitiveness programme Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide
8 February 2023 IMCA Calls for Offshore Wind Competitiveness Program North American Clean Energy
8 February 2023 IMCA calls for offshore wind competitiveness programme Dispatchist
8 February 2023 OWJ conference: IMCA calls for ‘offshore wind competitiveness programme’ World Ports Organization
8 February 2023 IMCA calls for offshore wind competitiveness programme AltEnergyMag.com
8 February 2023 OWJ conference: IMCA calls for ‘offshore wind competitiveness programme’ Riviera Maritime Media