UK sets new offshore wind targets
Trade body RenewableUK has welcomed the government’s new energy strategy.
A new target of 50GW offshore wind by 2030 will include up to 5GW of floating wind projects under the Energy Security Strategy published by the UK government in April 7.
Trade association RenewableUK welcomed the strategy, which sets targets to reduce the UK’s dependence on gas. By 2030, 95% of UK power should come from low-carbon sources, the policy says, with fossil fuel generation to shrink from the current 40% to just 5%.
The target will be achieved with more wind, solar and renewable hydrogen, says RenewableUK.
To meet these looming deadlines, the government says it will reform the planning system to allow consents to be made within a year.
“The Prime Minister’s ambitious new strategy puts the rocket boosters under the UK’s transition to renewable energy and will cut consumer bills,” said RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Dan McGrail.
“The new targets mean that our world-leading offshore wind industry will do the heavy lifting in getting Britain permanently off the hook of gas power by boosting our nation’s home-grown energy supply. Reforms to speed up the planning system and how quickly we connect new offshore wind are essential to meet these new ambitions.
“Producing renewable hydrogen using electricity from wind will provide valuable flexibility to our future clean energy system, replacing gas in a wide variety of sectors like industry, transport and heating.”
