Blogs

Government Subsidies Favour Offshore Wind

After months of speculation, the UK Government has announced its plans to revise funding and support for the renewable energy industry. And whilst subsidies for onshore wind and solar energy projects have been reduced, it’s good news for offshore wind in particular. - Read more »

UK Wind Energy Powers Up

The amount of electricity generated by UK wind farms – both onshore and offshore – has seen a huge increase in recent months. On 29 November 2013, the National Grid announced that wind energy surpassed the 6GW generation mark for the first time ever. For 30 minutes on that day, UK turbines produced an average of 6,004MW – enough to provide 13.5% of the country’s total electricity demand or power 3.41 million homes. - Read more »

First Floating Wind Farm gets Green Light

The Crown Estate has granted permission for the first floating wind farm to be built in UK waters. Norwegian firm Statoli is planning to build five 6MW turbines at a site in Buchan Deep, 20-30km off the shore of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, where the waters are more than 100m deep. - Read more »

Government Reconfirms Support for Renewables

The renewable energy sector has welcomed recent Government announcements that have reconfirmed its commitment to the industry. Following speculation that support may be scaled down, Energy Minister Baroness Verna stated in a House of Lords debate on the forthcoming Energy Bill that MPs aren’t ‘…talking about changing support for large-scale renewables.’ - Read more »

Kentish Flats Extension gets Go-ahead

Swedish developer Vattenfall has been given Board approval to proceed with a £150m project to extend the Kentish Flats Offshore Wind Farm. The extension will see an extra 15 turbines added to the existing 30 installed at the site, which lies 8km off the Whitstable and Herne Bay coast.

With the additional turbines, Kentish Farm will be able to generate an extra 49.5MW of electricity, enough to power 42,000 homes. Construction of the onshore works is expected to start towards the end of 2014, with the new turbines being commissioned in late 2015 and early 2016. - Read more »

Energy Projects to be Underwritten by Government

The UK Government has stepped in to guarantee the future of a range of renewable energy infrastructure schemes. The privately-backed projects will be underwritten using funds from the £40bn UK Guarantee Scheme, set up in 2012, if sufficient commercial funding cannot be found.

A total of 13 schemes have been earmarked for potential help, including education and transport projects. The renewable energy schemes include a new wind farm on the Forth Estuary, a £300m biomass power plant in Bristol and two gas-fired power stations in Essex and Lincolnshire. - Read more »

Funding Boost for Offshore Wind

The Government has pledged its continuing support for the UK’s offshore wind industry by investing £66 million into the sector. Ministers are keen to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in offshore wind energy and the investment is part of a whole new strategy to support future growth. - Read more »

Three Major Offshore Projects Go Live

It’s been a busy summer for the offshore wind industry, with three major Round 2 projects being officially opened in July and August.

First up was Phase One of the London Array – now officially the world’s largest offshore wind farm – which was opened by Prime Minister David Cameron on 4 July. The mammoth 175 turbine, 630MW project, constructed 10 miles out to sea in the Thames Estuary, will power up to 500,000 homes and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 900,000 tonnes a year. - Read more »

Government Supports Energy Infrastructure Investment

The energy industry – and the renewables sector in particular – is set to receive a shot in the arm thanks to Government plans to support investment in the UK’s energy infrastructure. The draft Electricity Market Reform Deliver Plan, published for consultation on 17 July, aims to attract around £110 billion worth of investment into the infrastructure by 2020. - Read more »

Jobs Market Buoyant in Marine Energy

A recent surge of investment into the wave and tidal energy industries has led to a sharp rise in the number of jobs available in these sectors. At the moment, marine energy supports around 1,000 jobs in the UK, and RenewableUK estimates this could soar to almost 25,000 roles by 2035, with the industry adding around £6.1 billion to the UK economy. - Read more »

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