The UK is a leading global player in renewable energy, but to stay on top, it has a lot of work to do. That’s the verdict from a recent report by The Crown Estate, the body responsible for the monarch’s public property.
Ironically, because the UK was such an early adopter, constructing large offshore wind farms as early as 2003, there are problems on the horizon as those turbines come to the end of their lives. How can the nation futureproof its wind farm capacity and its reputation as a worldwide renewables leader? There’s also the issue of high targets for wind power generation in the future.
In this article, we’ll look in more detail at how the UK plans to keep its turbines spinning and hit those ambitious targets.
Problems ahead
There are several issues looming for the UK’s renewable energy industry.
Firstly, the first commercial offshore wind farms started generating power in 2003. However, those turbines were only designed to run for 20 years, which means they’re already past their original end-of-life date.
Next, generous government subsidies designed to encourage companies to build wind farms are coming to an end. The first Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) are due to be finished in 2027, and the OFTP tender revenue stream expires in 2030.
These problems could not be coming at a worse time, considering the targets the UK has set itself for wind power generation. By 2030, it plans to generate 50GW, and around 95GW by 2050. How are they going to achieve it?
Causes for optimism
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The view of The Crown Estate’s report is that the UK has built a world-class renewable energy generation setup once – and it can do it again. Some changes will be needed, but with some creativity and joined-up thinking, it’s more than possible.
Let’s look at that track record again. Currently, the UK has the second-largest offshore wind capacity in the world. 40% of Europe’s offshore wind power is generated in UK waters. What’s more, the capacity is still growing. In 2023, the pipeline grew by 10GW to 93GW, generating 49TWh of electricity, enough to power 50% of the homes in the UK.
To keep up this momentum, even in the face of old turbines coming to the end of their lives, a change in approach is needed. The Crown Estate recommends a collaborative approach between all parties, commercial and governmental. Decisions should be more data-driven, enabling the industry to plan better, overcome challenges and move faster.
An example of this is a change to the bidding process for offshore wind farm licenses, increasing the price cap and budget for contract allocation.
Norfolk expansion
Another example of planning for a new future for offshore wind is the expansion of two wind farms off the coast of Norfolk. Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho granted Norwegian power giant Equinor permission to double the size of their Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon wind farms, adding 53 turbines and doubling the farms’ generating capacity.
The project also includes the construction of two offshore transformer electricity substations, with subsea circuits connecting them to dry land in Norfolk. There, the power travels to a new onshore substation in Norwich, which connects to the National Grid.
While this expansion has been controversial, with previous initiatives being rejected by planning inspectors, it represents a new chapter in the UK’s wind energy story. These new turbines are more powerful than earlier versions, with a higher generating capacity.
Looking to the future
It’s clear that offshore wind has been a great success in the UK so far, but we cannot rest on our laurels. To keep benefitting from all the hard work and investment, the industry needs to keep on looking for new opportunities.
Renewables play a massive part in the UK’s net zero and climate change plans, so we must all hope this good work continues.