Report says 100,000 jobs in UK's offshore energy industry

The offshore energy could create 100,000 new jobs in the UK by 2020

A new report has claimed the offshore energy industry could create 100,000 jobs in the UK by the end of the decade.

The Humber is at the centre of the new industry, with a number of wind farms planned across the North Sea.

The report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said renewable energy was set to be a "vast industry".

A new £210m wind turbine factory is being built in Hull docks.

The report said if the UK is to meet its European CO2 emissions targets it would require 29GW of capacity by 2020.

'Big opportunity'

If achieved, the industry would create between 80,000 and 100,000 jobs, and could provide £12.5 billion in annual revenues.

Oliver Hogan, from the CEBR, said: "Wherever the wind farms are going to be located I think much of the economic impact of that investment is going to be felt in that region."

One local shipping company has already invested in a new boat that is being built in a shipyard in Paull on the Humber Estuary.

James Doyle, from Rix Shipping, said the new aluminium ship will provide support to the new offshore wind turbines in the North Sea.

"The Humber has never had such a big opportunity," he said

"There's going to be maybe 7,000 turbines in Dogger Bank. Each turbine needs a technician, that's 7,000 technicians. They all need transporting out there on vessels.

"So the opportunities are massive."