Britain has the best wind resources in Europe and installed 1,897MW last year – 16% of all new wind capacity in the region . . . 1,043MW onshore and 854MW offshore.
This puts the UK 2nd in terms of new deployment last year and our wind energy output increased by 33% compared to 2011.
Overall wind power generated 5.5% of the UK’s power needs in 2012, up from 4% in 2011.
In a recent move, the UK Government tabled an amendment to the Energy Bill, which would require Westminster to set a decarbonisation target for the power sector in April 2014.
If the amendment were to be introduced, it would limit the maximum amount of carbon emitted from 2030 onwards. The currently recommended limit is of 50 grammes per kilowatt hour, in other words 90% lower than current levels.
Trade association RenewableUK has claimed that this would secure more than 76,000 jobs in the wind industry by 2021, and have a transformational impact on the UK manufacturing sector, despite only lower value components such as towers and foundations being manufactured here.
Another regional development that is expected to have long-term positive outcomes was the signing of the MOU between the Irish and UK governments in January.
The memorandum of understanding will initiate detailed analysis of how Irish renewable energy resources, onshore and offshore, might be developed to the mutual benefit of Ireland and the UK.
Based on this analysis, the parties will develop an inter-governmental agreement for signing by 2014.
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