Marine turbine parks either already built, under construction or earmarked for development in UK waters together total 99.8GW across 130 projects, figures from the industry’s advocates to Whitehall have found.
Analysis by Renewable UK reveals a 14 GW growth in capacity in awaited or identified projects around Britain’s coasts over the past twelve months.
The gross total of nearly 100GW includes 13.7GW of fully operational capacity and a further 13.6GW under construction or with support secured for a route to market.
In world rankings Britain continues to sit second only to China, now with a 136.6GW gross pipeline. But developers’ growing interest in franchises off Australasian and south American coasts, means the UK’s share of the 1,174GW global project base slips below 10% for the first time, to 8.5%.
Britain’s total of 13.7 GW in operating capacity again places us second behind China’s 28.3GW. Globally, offshore turbines commissioned and already generating now stand at 60GW.
Last April, the government raised by 10GW to 50GW its target for offshore generation to be achieved by 2030. That ambition may prove to be too modest, in the light of the industry representatives’ current evaluation.
Last year’s newly operational international capacity is again dominated by the same two leaders. The Chinese drew current from 3.8GW of new spinners in 2022, ahead of Britain’s now available new 3.2GW. The analysts expect the same pair to maintain dominance for the rest of the decade.
The figures come in the latest report from the UK industry body’s EnergyPulse research database.
“The UK retains a powerful position in offshore wind, second only to China, but we’re seeing incredible growth in new markets like Australia, the USA and Brazil”, commented RenewableUK’s chief executive Dan McGrail.
“Since the invasion of Ukraine, there has been a global step-change in offshore wind”, McGrail added. “This is a challenge to our current position as a world leader”.
“There’s now fierce global competition for investment in not only wind farms, but also manufacturing facilities and supply chains. The US and EU are offering massive financial incentives for renewable energy, while in the UK the Government has been raising taxes on clean energy. These figures underline the need for bold action to attract the billions in private investment we need, otherwise the UK risks being left”, the lobbyists’ boss concluded.
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