U.K. Doubles Down on Offshore Wind

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The U.K. government is doubling down on offshore wind development following the recent approval for the 1.2-gigawatt (GW) Rampion 2 project and the announcement of £300 million (US$400 million) in funding to develop domestic offshore wind supply chains.

The Rampion 2 project, which is being developed by an RWE AG (Essen, Germany) consortium and which lies off England's south coast, will be capable of generating enough power for more than 1 million homes. Sitting adjacent to the existing 400-megawatt (MW) Rampion windfarm off the Sussex coast, the new project will cover an area of 125 square miles and consist of up to 90 turbines. Construction is expected to start next year. Last year, the U.K.'s wind energy capacity hit 30 GW, more than doubling since 2017 and, with Rampion 2, it puts the government within 4 GW of its offshore wind target of 43-50 GW by 2030, as set out in its Clean Power Action Plan.  The U.K. is Europe's largest offshore wind energy market and the world's second largest after China. Industrial Info is tracking 58 U.K. offshore projects with an estimated investment value of US$194 billion. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can click here for the reports.

On granting permission, U.K. Energy Security Secretary Ed Miliband said: "The U.K. has a boundless supply of wind that cannot be turned on and off at the whims of dictators and petrostates. It's time to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster, roll out clean power, protect our energy security and bring down bills for good. This project puts us within reach of our clean power offshore wind target."

The government has also announced a £300 million (US$400 million) fund to encourage global offshore wind investment in the U.K. Managed by state-owned clean energy company Great British Energy, it will be used to boost domestic jobs, mobilize additional private investment and secure manufacturing facilities for critical clean energy supply chains like floating offshore platforms and cables. It wants to create "resilient" domestic supply chains for components which "are essential to delivering clean power by 2030." It comes on the back of statements by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer about a new era of global insecurity and a growing need for more self-reliance on the manufacturing front. With regard to the funding, Starmer said: "Delivering the Plan for Change means winning the race for the clean energy jobs of the future, which will drive growth and help us reach clean power by 2030. That is why I am bringing forward much-needed investment in our domestic offshore wind supply chains, strengthening our security and creating good jobs for our welders, electricians, and engineers."

Jane Cooper, deputy chief executive officer of clean energy association of RenewableUK, welcomed the funding. "There's a huge opportunity for the U.K. to secure thousands of new jobs and supply chain investment in the sector, which will make our home-grown energy supply even more secure. The Prime Minister's funding will be critical to ensuring the U.K. grasps the industrial opportunities in the offshore wind supply chain, at a time of intense global competition for clean energy investment. By nurturing existing U.K. companies, and ensuring we're a competitive location for international investors, there's an opportunity to triple our manufacturing capacity over the next decade, adding £25 billion (US$33.3 billion) to the U.K. economy and creating an additional 10,000 jobs in the supply chain."

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).