‘The sky’s the limit’

The Caribbean looks to embrace offshore wind energy.

It’s fair to the say that the Caribbean has been extraordinarily slow in taking a serious interest in the offshore wind energy market – especially when compared to some other parts of the world.

By Gary Gimson

There’s been plenty of detailed studies into offshore wind energy, endless good intentions about investments but little in the way of any concerted action. But that may be about to change.

As a starting point, these studies acknowledge the current high cost of electricity generation in many Caribbean countries and can see the massive potential of wind and more generally ocean energy, but the difficulty across the region seems to be translating this potential into meaningful projects.

Niche Sector

Elsewhere, the offshore wind energy market is proving a useful source of business for both ports and shipowners as it develops into a vibrant niche sector for those with specialized equipment to transport giant turbines, the even more highly specialized vessels needed to install and maintain them as well as those required to create the fixed or floating foundations and erect the towers. Brian Sørensen of leading Danish provider of logistics service to the wind energy market, Blue Water Shipping said it was a sector where “the sky’s the limit.”

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