With its ambitious plan of quadrupling its offshore wind power generation capacity, the UK aims at overtaking the electricity consumption requirements of the entire households by 2030.
The UK anticipates to create more jobs through innovations in the technology and create economic growth in its coastal regions. Government’s support has, already, contributed to the reduction of offshore wind by two thirds in the last five years. With that pro-active move, the UK stands to benefits by not only creating a robust green economy, but also becoming the tech-leader in green technology in the world as well as in the Commonwealth.
To further reduce the cost of offshore wind, the UK will double its commitments to renewable through the next Contract for Difference auction. By 2030, the UK anticipates to produce 40GW of offshore wind. This includes 1GW of innovative floating offshore wind in the windiest parts of seas.
Being a home to the world’s first two floating offshore windfarms, the UK, by 2030, intends to have scaled up this to twelvefold. This target could encourage £20 billion of private investment into the UK and could double jobs in the sector over the next decade. The new jobs that would be created, would range from construction workers to top-end engineers.
Enhancing efficiency
Being the leader in technology, efficiency of offshore wind has been dramatically improved and that wind turbines are, by now, capable of generating enough electricity to power a house for more than 24 hours with a single turn of their blades.
In order to put the UK at the forefront of manufacturing, the wind turbines would grow in size. To support this enlarging industry the UK will invest £160 million into modern ports and manufacturing infrastructure, providing high quality employment in coastal regions and also enabling the delivery of 60% UK content in offshore wind projects, as set out by the industry, through more stringent requirements for supply chains in the Contract for Difference auctions.
This will help attract inward investment into manufacturing in the UK and increase the UK’s global competitiveness and expertise.
Hurdles along the journey
However, to integrate clean technologies like offshore wind, the Britain must transform its energy system, building more network infrastructure and utilising smart technologies like energy storage. The UK will set out its strategy in the Offshore Transmission Network Review to link offshore wind in a clean and cost-effective way. In addition to these measure, the UK will outline its plans for smart systems and introducing competition in onshore networks in the forthcoming Energy White Paper.
Despite a barrage of criticisms, the green industrial revolution envisaged by Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a progressive step towards reclaiming the UK’s rightful position in the world stage as a preeminent industrial power, hub of knowledge and centre of manufacturing excellence.
Policy impacts
- Our commitment to a 40GW offshore wind target could help bring forth around £20bn of private investment in renewable energy.
- Co-ordinated offshore wind connection could deliver up to £6bn in consumer savings by 2050, significantly reducing environmental and social impacts on coastal communities.
- An estimated 60% of spending on UK offshore wind will be invested back into the economy by 2030.
Target Milestones
- 2020-Competitive process launched to support modern, integrated portside infrastructure
- 2021-Consult on the introduction of more stringent supply chain plan requirements, and support up to twice the capacity of renewable generation in the next CfD round, with onshore wind and solar projects eligible to bid for CfD contracts
- 2021- The Offshore Transmission Network Review will publish an update by the end of the year, with a view to providing clarity for an enduring approach in 2021
