Hornsea Project Two Offshore Windfarm Approval: Reaction & Comment

Dr Jonathan Marshall, Energy Analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit and RenewableUK have reacted to the news that the government have given the go-ahead to world’s largest offshore wind farm.

Dr Jonathan Marshall, Energy Analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has reacted to the news that the Hornsea Project Two offshore windfarm off Yorkshire has today received development consent from Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark [1] by saying:

“This decision shows that, despite the muddle over the new nuclear plant at Hinkley point, there are energy technologies in which the UK has carved out a position as a global leader.

The Government’s backing of offshore wind gives the energy sector some of the certainty that has been sorely lacking recently.

 

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“Consistent support has driven costs of offshore wind down so that it’s almost competitive with fossil fuel generation. British factories are now building components for British wind farms, which looks like the building blocks for a truly low-carbon industrial strategy.

“With the next round of renewable energy auctions to come later this year, this approval shows that the UK will continue to push ahead with the transition to a low-carbon economy, reducing our reliance on ageing power stations and imported fossil fuels.”

RenewableUK have also responded to the news that the Hornsea Two offshore wind farm from DONG Energy has gained planning consent from the Business and Energy Secretary, Greg Clark.

The project, located off the coast of Yorkshire, will have a capacity of up to 1.8 gigawatts (GW). This could meet the electricity needs of around 1.8 million UK homes per year.

Wind power is currently delivering over 12% of the UK’s electricity. This is expected to increase to 20% by 2020 with offshore wind alone providing 10%. Offshore wind’s costs have also fallen dramatically in the past few years, and it is on course to become competitive with new nuclear and gas.

RenewableUK’s Chief Executive, Hugh McNeal, said:

“Today’s announcement is the latest vote of confidence in the UK’s world-beating offshore wind market. This huge infrastructure project will provide much-needed investment and energy security for our country. Offshore wind represents a massive economic opportunity to the UK and our coastal regions. It is creating new jobs and regenerating local communities”.