This summer Ed Swain joined Regen as an intern, ahead of a move to Australia. Here, he summarises the projects he worked on and what he gained from the experience.
Read Ed’s report, The Role of the Offshore Wind Industry in Ensuring a Just Transition, here.
My summer internship with Regen has been an incredibly educational, enjoyable and eye-opening experience, offering me deeper insight into the offshore wind industry. Coming directly from a renewable energy engineering degree, this placement gave me a valuable perspective on how the working environment in an industry setting like Regen differs from university life.
The internship focused primarily on the rapidly evolving offshore wind sector. During my time, I worked on two main areas: first, assessing the UK offshore wind pipeline in relation to future grid scenarios, and second, conducting a research project exploring the role of the global offshore wind industry in delivering a just transition. This involved a series of interviews with offshore wind developers and other sector organisations to gather their insights and ideas, with the goal of identifying opportunities for further work in this area.
Reflecting on the project, I’ve gained a much deeper understanding of the global offshore wind sector, the significance of a just transition and the key processes involved in offshore wind development. While my engineering background meant I had less experience with these topics, I now appreciate the crucial role that political, social and economic factors play in the offshore wind industry.
Following my placement with Regen is a move to Australia, with hopes of contributing to their offshore wind industry while also enjoying some time in the sun and water! I can confidently say that my time at Regen has accelerated my learning in this sector, providing a strong foundation for future involvement. This progress is thanks to the opportunities I had during the internship, as well as the valuable connections and industry presence Regen holds.
You can read Ed’s report, The Role of the Global Offshore Wind Industry in Ensuring a Just Transition, here. This report is part of Regen’s ongoing work in offshore wind and just transitions and will be used to inform future areas of research. If you are interested in discussing this further, please contact Grace Millman or Fraser Stewart.
