‘Massive’ potential for offshore wind

The UK could expand its offshore wind capacity to almost five times its current level by 2030, creating the potential to power millions of homes, according to a new study.

The Unleashing Europe’s Offshore Wind Potential report, commissioned by trade body WindEurope and conducted by independent consultants BVG Associates, found a total capacity of at least 25 gigawatts (GW) could be installed in UK waters by the end of the next decade compared with the current level of 5.355GW.

That would be enough to power more than 20 million homes, or 75% of all households in the UK, according to RenewablesUK.

WindEurope said offshore wind is expected to produce seven to 11% of the EU’s electricity demand by 2030, but that’s only a fraction of what is available in the European sea basins.

The study also shows the UK has by far the most economically attractive offshore wind resources for development anywhere in Europe; nearly three times better than Denmark which is in second place.

Sites off the coast of Courier Country have already been identified for potential windfarm development – but these have not been without their issues.

Last month a potential £10 billion of offshore renewables development off the Tay and Fife coast was unlocked after the Inner House of the Court of Session dismissed an earlier judgment upholding bird conservation charity RSPB Scotland’s objection that Scottish Ministers erred when granting planning approvals for three major offshore wind farms in the firths of the two rivers.

The most advanced project is the £2bn 450MW Neart Na Gaoithe windfarm in the outer Forth estuary, which is fully funded and which also has a power contract.

Its developer Mainstream Renewable Power said it now intended moving quickly towards the construction phase.

Meanwhile, the other two projects are the 784MW Inch Cape array and the Seagreen Alpha and Bravo arrays, which is the largest of the proposed windfarms with a collective potential output of 1050MW.

Consents were initially awarded in 2014.

Offshore windfarm capacity has potential to expand five-fold in the UK.