The circular economy: cleaner, cheaper, secure homegrown energy
Eve Andrews
Research engineer in circular economy for offshore wind
The circular economy is the latest talking point on our journey to net zero, but what does this mean for big infrastructure projects like Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm? Eve Andrews, Research Engineer at SSE Renewables, shares her insights on how a project of this scale is helping tackle the climate crisis with minimal impact on the environment.
What’s is the circular economy?
The circular economy is an approach designed to keep resources in circulation for as long as possible. This is a move away from the linear economy where resources are extracted, used, and then disposed of. A circular economy uses principles such as reusing, repurposing, and repairing to achieve increased material efficiency. Adopting circular economy approaches can provide environmental, economic and social benefits by making us less dependent on extraction, significantly reducing waste and giving the potential for new high value jobs.
In June this year, the Scottish Government published the Circular Economy Bill which encourages reusing and recycling materials as a way for Scotland to tackle the climate emergency. For Berwick Bank, this means we are engaging with our suppliers to look at ways we can make the project more circular through materials, maintenance, and decommissioning.
Scaling up for impact through the circular economy
The most important part of the project is the scale. Once complete, Berwick Bank will be roughly the same size in square kilometres as Greater Glasgow. What's more, each wind turbine will be the same height as the Eiffel Tower.
At its peak production, the development will create nearly 10,000 jobs and contribute £8.3 billion to the UK economy. There is no doubt that Berwick Bank is big in every way. Its scale must reflect sustainability across the value chain and have a long-term positive impact on society and the planet.
Scotland’s circular targets
The First Minister recently announced the Programme for Government 2023-2024, outlining commitments to promoting the circular economy. Zero Waste Scotland predict that by 2050, a more circular economy could result in 11 million tonnes of waste saved per year.
Berwick Bank have sponsored research in circular economy and what it means for the wind industry through IDCORE, an industrial centre for doctoral training in offshore renewable energy. This research looks at defining a metric for circularity performance which can be used by wind developments such as Berwick Bank to help them make more circular decisions. The tool will be developed using Berwick Bank as a case study but could enable a drive towards increased material efficiency throughout the industry.
In the true spirit of collaborating for change, we hope that our recommendations can be applied to future offshore wind developments to help with best practice for resourcefully using materials.
The future is Berwick Bank
Ground-breaking developments like Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm are key to unlocking and securing our green future. Material usage needs to be streamlined to deliver net zero on-site and on time. Renewable energy will eventually be the main source of power for UK households, and the scale of Berwick Bank will ensure this will be delivered in a safe and, importantly, sustainable supply.
Scotland has made use of its natural capital and is best placed for producing offshore wind energy. Harnessing the abundant wind energy capability of the North Sea puts us in a unique position to develop offshore wind farms at pace. The race to net zero has begun, but we need to remain mindful of our own carbon footprint and material consumption along the journey. The research being conducted through the project on circularity will help to highlight the right steps to ensure Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm will produce clean and green energy.
Eve Andrews
Research engineer in circular economy for offshore wind, SSE Renewables
