UK Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng has said floating wind will play a major role in the UK’s future energy mix.
Speaking at an online conference and exhibition today, Floating Offshore Wind 2020, organised by trade associations RenewableUK and Scottish Renewables, the minister described it as “a hugely exciting opportunity and a dynamic area of growth which sits squarely and centrally in the Government’s goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050”.
Kwarteng (pictured) emphasised that early deployment will create long term economic growth and industrial benefits, ensuring that supply chain benefits are captured in the UK.
He added that there is no reason why the UK cannot not seize the opportunity of world leadership in the technology.
Meanwhile RUK has responded to the Government’s call for evidence on the potential of marine energy projects by recommending a series of measures to ensure that the UK capitalises on its global lead in floating offshore wind, which the Prime Minister highlighted in his landmark speech on Tuesday.
The UK already has the world’s largest floating wind farms with 30 megawatts (MW) of operational capacity in Scotland and a further 150MW in the pipeline in Scotland and Wales, RUK said.
It added that the industry believes 1 gigawatt (GW) by 2030 is achievable, but will work to go further and aim to double this to 2GW by that date.
“We are confident that we can install at least 20GW by 2050,” the trade body said.
In its consultation response to the Department for Business, Industry and Industrial Strategy, the trade association notes that the floating wind sector could support at least 17,000 jobs by 2050 and generate £33.6bn of economic activity (GVA) – particularly in Scotland, Wales and the south west of England, along with a supply chain throughout the country.
As the industry is adapting technology from North Sea oil and gas rigs, former oil and gas sector workers are among those who stand to benefit from the enormous job opportunities on offer, RUK added.
In the document the trade body predicts that floating wind will repeat the success of fixed-foundation offshore wind in driving down costs dramatically by scaling up fast.
Measures recommended to achieve this include removing capacity caps in future CfD auctions and providing more clarity over the frequency, timing and parameters of future auctions to stimulate confidence among investors.
More detail is needed on how the CfD budget will be allocated within and between funding pots, and greater flexibility on milestone delivery dates within the CfD process will help floating wind to reach full commercialisation more rapidly.
Another key recommendation is for the government to enable the development of new infrastructure at ports around the country, so that they can cope with the increased scale of floating turbines and platforms, as well as the cables that tether them to the sea bed.
It said the Prime Minister already went “some way” towards this by announcing £160m to develop port infrastructure in yesterday’s key speech at the Conservative Party conference.
R&D grants to standardise floating technology and bring cost reductions have also been called for.
RUK policy and regulation head Rebecca Williams said the government needed to put the right policy framework in place to capitalise on the UK’s global advantage.
She added: “The Prime Minister’s commitment to floating wind shone through in his landmark speech yesterday – he clearly sees it as playing a key role in the UK’s long term green economic recovery – and today the Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng urged the industry to seize the opportunity that floating wind offers to deliver massive economic and industrial benefits to this country.
“When the Government publishes its long-awaited White Paper on energy policy, expected before the end of the year, we’re hoping to see further recognition of the benefits this innovative technology offers as an important technology in the UK’s green economic future”.
Floating Offshore Wind 2020 continues tomorrow.