UK holds lead in European offshore wind
There are now 1,341 MW of wind energy installed in UK waters. Photo by Peter Barker
The latest offshore wind statistics, released last week by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), confirm that the United Kingdom is the European and world sector leader with 1,341 megawatts (MW) installed.
The UK is followed by Denmark (854MW), the Netherlands (249MW), Belgium (195MW) and Sweden (164MW). Germany, Ireland, Finland and Norway have a further 145MW between them.
Commenting on the results, renewable energy trade association RenewableUK, hailed the results as more evidence that the offshore wind sector is on track to deliver significant economic benefits, as well as renewable electricity to consumers.
Peter Madigan, RenewableUK head of offshore renewables said, ‘The UK’s offshore wind roll out is continuing at full speed. Last week the first turbines at Walney and Greater Gabbard have started delivering electricity to the grid. Once completed these two offshore wind farms will take the UK over the two gigawatt (GW) mark. We now need to ensure that we are best poised to capture the full benefits such a massive infrastructure project offers, including increased employment and business activity.’
EWEA’s report states that the current installed offshore wind power capacity now supplies the equivalent of 2.9m average EU households with electricity, comparable with the amounts of power consumed by the cities Berlin and Brussels together, from a total of 1,136 offshore wind turbines.
The report also states that 19,000 MW of offshore wind capacity is already fullyconsentedin Europe. If constructed, it would generate 66.6 Terawatt hours of electricity in a normal wind year. This would be enough to supply 14 of the largest capitals in Europe with electricity, including Paris, London and Berlin. Added to this total, the report flagged up the development potential in UK waters which is already leased, and awaiting planning consent.
‘We should ensure that new UK based factories are supplying the turbines for those 19,000 MW of consented wind farms and beyond. This is a once in a generation opportunity and there is no reason why, given the right policy framework, we shouldn’t stay on top of the offshore league’, concluded Madigan.
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2012. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
