Renewables

If wind farms are to succeed in the UK on a large scale, the Government must revise its strategy for offshore wind farms, says the Carbon Trust.

Current government proposals call for offshore wind farms to be built in deep water at least 70 miles from shore. According to a report from the Carbon Trust, siting offshore wind farms nearer to the coast would reduce costs by 20% both encouraging investment and enabling projects to be completed faster.

The report, Offshore wind: big challenge, big opportunity, also recommends removing grid and planning barriers to offshore wind farms, increasing funding for R&D and revising current incentives.

Taking into account all these factors, it could be possible to slash a total of £30 billion – or 40% - from the total offshore wind development costs.

If the government does not relax the restrictions on offshore wind development, the UK could fall behind in its target of 15% renewable energy by 2020.

“If we are to meet our 2020 renewable targets we need a dash for wind on a comparable scale to the dash for gas of the 1990s. Slashing the costs of offshore wind must now be a priority for UK energy policy,” says Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust.

Allowing wind farms to be built nearer the shore in shallower water could mean than 29 GW of offshore wind farms could be operational by 2020, says the Carbon Trust. As well as contributing to the UK’s renewables target, this would cut carbon emissions by 14% and create over 70,000 new jobs.

Both the wind power industry and environmental groups have welcomed the report.

“The Carbon Trust’s report makes a clear case for the urgent need to get the support and regulation right,” says Duncan Ayling of the British Wind Energy Association.

“Offshore wind power could be a really huge business opportunity for Britain if the government now seizes the initiative,” adds John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Mike O’Brien also acknowledged the importance of the report and said its findings would be carefully considered in the Government’s renewable energy strategy due for publication in the Spring.

For further information:
www.carbontrust.co.uk/Publications/publicationdetail.htm?productid=CTC743
www.carbontrust.co.uk
www.bwea.com/
www.greenpeace.org.uk/
www.decc.gov.uk/