1. Safety for all at all times
Paramount to SMart Wind's objectives is a commitment to delivering the proposed works safely and to preventing injury or ill health to any team member, contractor, third party or member of the public involved in or affected by SMart Wind's activities.
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2. Environmental excellence
SMart Wind is committed to minimising the human, biological and physical environmental impacts of any proposed offshore developments including any onshore associated works.
SMart Wind strongly believes in working with all stakeholders, both statutory and non-statutory, in order to ensure that concerns can be addressed at an early stage in the development process.
Working closely with The Crown Estate, government and stakeholders, SMart Wind is taking an integrated and zonal approach to understand, assess and minimise impacts of the works on the environment and stakeholders. The programme of zone characterisation and assessment has been designed with delivery of the last turbine in mind. This has, and will involve, reviewing the whole of the zone to decide where best to position wind farms alongside comprehensive individual wind farm Environmental Impact Assessments or EIAs.
SMart Wind's team has considerable experience of completing offshore regional environmental assessments and aims to address the cumulative and in-combination effects, from the outset and into project operation.
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3. Maximising UK and regional opportunities
SMart Wind believes that all development work must be local. Working in partnership with local communities, developers, utilities, contractors and suppliers, SMart Wind will deliver the best renewable power plant for the United Kingdom. A local presence is fundamental, and local people with the necessary knowledge are vital. Skilled human resources will be key to the programme's success.
Building on the successes already underway with the SMart Wind partner organisation in developing human capital, initiatives will continue to grow through collaboration with organisations including RenewableUK (formerly BWEA), European Wind Energy Association, National Skills Academy for Power and the Ambassadors' Apprenticeship Network, to produce graduate- technicians and apprentices in engineering and marine technologies who are equipped to construct and operate offshore wind farms.
Delivery of the Hornsea Zone and the wider offshore wind programme presents considerable economic opportunities for the east coast of the UK:
- Industrial and port redevelopment: Proximity to significant estuaries and local port infrastructure is a key benefit for zone delivery. Regional estuaries contain several ports that could not only be used for construction and long-term operation & maintenance, but could form the cornerstone of significant UK manufacturing export-clusters.
- Manufacturing and jobs: Numerous local manufacturing and service businesses have the potential to become major suppliers to the offshore wind industry.
- Research collaboration opportunities: Between regional academic institutes and supply chain companies on technology development, demonstration and deployment.
- Training and skills development opportunities: Ranging from early sector attraction at school-age, through to advanced technician training for the engineering roles required within the sector supply chain.
To maximise these opportunities, activity should be focused on developing an east coast manufacturing SuperCluster, consisting of material and component suppliers, with deep water port access, as well as universities and research institutions with tailored R&D and education. Within the wind industry, examples of such clusters already exist in northern Germany, Denmark and Spain. To maximise the potential of the offshore wind industry to the UK it is essential that at least one cluster is established on the east coast of the UK. SMart Wind will work with its development partners, The Crown Estate, government and stakeholders in striving to achieve this goal, which will also help reduce the cost of offshore wind to the consumer.
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4. Vertically-integrated, modular approach
SMart Wind is proposing a revolutionary vertically-integrated and collaborative, modular approach which will optimise assets and maximise output over their life-cycle. The equation of variables of value chain, logistical, financial and other restrictions lead to an optimum block size of approximately 500MW.
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5. Benefiting the consumer
SMart Wind will provide secure, clean and low-cost power to UK consumers by delivering large-scale power stations fuelled by an infinite and free source of power, the wind. By interconnecting with projects in Germany and other Round 3 zones, SMart Wind aims to make a significant contribution to creating a more sophisticated European energy market, a market that will unleash creativity, innovation and trading. SMart Wind believes that the UK Round 3 Programme provides an opportunity to deliver large-scale offshore wind interconnected to Europe. These developments should ultimately lead to a European offshore direct current (DC) transmission grid (Supergrid) that will transform the way Europe sources energy, generates power, distributes electricity and manages markets.
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6. Integrated, coherent partnership
SMart Wind recognises that none of its objectives can be achieved in isolation. Every stage and element of the delivery process relies on teamwork. SMart Wind is committed to forming a meaningful and enduring partnership with The Crown Estate and with strategic partners, stakeholders, suppliers and communities to realise the full benefits from its Round 3 works. SMart Wind has a series of core values including respect and honesty that will form the foundation of these partnerships.
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