RenewableUK’s latest date report shows the UK’s pipeline of offshore wind projects is creeping ever nearer to 100 gigawatts (GW).
But the trade body has warned against complacency, and is calling on government to bring forward measures to support the domestic manufacturing sector.
According to the latest EnergyPulse market intelligence study, there are 97 GW of offshore wind in development in the UK, up from just over 91 GW a year ago.
Almost half of that (41 GW) is in the North Sea off Scotland, while a large portion (33 GW) will be located further south in the English North Sea.
Globally, the offshore wind pipeline tops 1.23 terawatts (TW), an increase of nearly 400GW in the last year.
The pipeline includes projects at every stage of development: operational, under construction, consented or planned.
The UK total pipeline is second only to China, where 157 GW is in the offing, followed by the USA in third place with 82 GW, Sweden is fourth with 75 GW and Brazil fifth with 63 GW.
By the end of 2020, the UK was leading the world in operational offshore wind capacity, with 10.4GW compared to the 7.7GW of China.
But in 2021, China took the top spot, more than doubling its capacity, with 16.9 GW going operational in a single year.
After installing 5 GW in the subsequent years, China currently accounts for 48% of global operational capacity.
Commenting on the statistics, RenewableUK’s CEO Dan McGrail said: “These latest Energy Pulse figures show that both the UK and global offshore wind pipeline is continuing to grow at pace, with new projects coming forward on a massive scale.
“While the UK has established itself as a global leader in both fixed-bottom and floating wind, we cannot afford to be complacent. More and more countries are fleshing out their offshore ambitions, with clear plans for future developments and industrial strategies to accompany them.
“Recent developments such as the Inflation Reduction Act in the USA and the EU’s Green Industrial Deal have increased competition for investment. We must double down on our efforts to support and accelerate offshore wind development, and I’d encourage the Chancellor to bring forward new measures in the Autumn Budget to incentivise manufacturing investment into the UK that might otherwise go overseas.”
RenewableUK’s warnings coincide with estimates from ABB that UK offshore wind power capacity must increase by 265% to meet 2030 goal.
Analysis from the technology firm shows that 24 additional wind farms need to come online in the next seven years to reach the UK’s 50 GW offshore wind target.
If achieved, the UK’s electricity supply from sea sited turbines will jump from 18% to 62%, delivering renewable energy to every UK household, approximately 29.98 million homes.
Per Erik Holsten, head of ABB Energy Industries for Northern Europe, said: “In order to reach the UK’s ambitious targets, we must collectively find ways to bring down the cost of developing new wind farms, speed up the planning and permitting processes, secure the supply chain and deliver network infrastructure upgrades to support the massive growth in power flows and connections to the grid.
“If we get this right, we could help the UK resolve the current energy pricing crisis and significantly grow the UK’s export capability, all the while delivering a cleaner form of electricity to industry and consumers.”
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