Our latest newsletter is now available. This month, the globalisation of offshore wind is a key topic. Stories include our work for the Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition, wind farm cost estimation for China Three Gorges Corporation, Bruce Valpy‘s podcast for BP, on update to the Guide to an Offshore Wind Farm and our work on drones in the offshore wind industry.
Bruce’s introduction says:
We’ve had a great start to the year. During our work, we are constantly reminded both of the significant impact that the wind industry is having and of the enormous challenges we still face to get to a point of climate and environmental stability.
The UK has produced almost as much electricity from wind as from gas since the start of 2020. There has been an average generation of 9.2GW (10.2GW for CCGT; 6.3GW from nuclear, 2.2GW from biomass, 1.8GW from coal, about 0.5GW from solar; 1GW from other sources). Yet globally, offshore wind has only just begun, not showing up on the generation charts.
We’ve been in great dialogue with all sorts of companies, from the very large to the pretty small about energy transition and how they get involved in (especially) offshore wind and we understand some of the real dilemmas there. Again, for some, offshore wind has been a big part of their corporate journey, others are just beginning. The pace of ‘net zero carbon’ announcements is encouraging. This transition is starting to be driven by companies rather than governments.
And as we look, more and more, towards the 2030s, we are reminded that the supply chain will need to double in size in the next 8 years or so to meet European offshore wind aspirations. It will then need to more than double again in the 8 years after that.
Does this all mean more challenges? Of course. Does it present more opportunities? Definitely. Do we need realism in order to succeed? Lots of it! But the success wind energy is having is rapidly reducing the number of sceptics, which means we also are right to be optimistic.
You can read the newsletter in full here: The globalisation of offshore wind: our latest newsletter
