UK heads for 11GW of offshore wind electricity generation capacity by 2020

The UK’s offshore wind market is on course to remain the leading in the world up to the end of the decade based on current installation projections reaching 11GW by 2020, a report published by research and consulting firm GlobalData has concluded.

The UK is obliged to source 15% of its electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2020 under EU targets, with 3.7GW of current offshore wind capacity providing 3% of the UK’s generation.

“The last decade has seen offshore wind progress from an immature to a proven technology, which is expected to contribute significantly to the achievement of the UK’s renewable targets,” said the firm’s power analyst Swati Singh.

Confidence in the growth of the UK’s offshore wind sector tallies with data collated by the industry’s trade body, RenewableUK, which indicates that 1.7GW of offshore capacity is under construction and a further 5.8GW has been consented.

And RenewableUK’s list of projects does not include the 7.2GW Dogger Bank offshore project, two-thirds of which is scheduled to start generating electricity by 2018 ( see EDEM 11 June 2014 ).

Two tranches of the project totalling 4.8GW of capacity is currently under examination by the Planning Inspectorate, which will report with its recommendation to the energy secretary in time for his final verdict early in 2015.

Earlier this year, the project’s general manager told ICIS that it had received ‘overwhelmingly positive’ support from local councils and parliamentarians, following the application of a development consent order that had been compiled with the expert input of four major renewable generators.

Offshore capacity grows

A swathe of new offshore wind capacity entering the grid towards the end of the decade would have bearish implications for seasonal contracts towards the end of the power curve.

The release of GlobalData’s report coincided with the news that SSE has now finalised the settlement for exiting the 340MW Galloper offshore wind project, handing the reins to fellow developer RWE.

SSE’s director of offshore renewables, Finlay McCutcheon, said the agreement of the exit terms would now allow RWE to progress the project to a final investment decision (FID).

RWE has previously emitted positive signals regarding the project’s construction, after appointing a contractor for onshore substation works in June in a deal costing £1m (€1.24m) ( see EDEM 12 June 2014 ).

Meanwhile, the 402MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm remains on course to start generating in 2017 following Siemens’ appointment as the contractor for the grid connection infrastructure on Thursday.

The project’s developers Statkraft and Statoil confirmed their final investment decision at the start of July ( see EDEM 1 July 2014 . Henry Evans