Shed costs to develop wind: SeaEnergy

Offshore wind farm construction costs in Britain need to drop by around 30 percent over the next decade if the sector is to develop and help the country meet its green energy targets, a British offshore wind farm developer said.

"If the industry doesn't take off, how else are we going to supply our energy? We don't have the choice, we have to put more renewable energy capacity in place," said Allan MacAskill, business development director for SeaEnergy Renewables, which has permits for developing offshore wind farms in British waters.

He said collaboration among developers was crucial to lower costs, which was especially important for turbines, the substructures holding the wind farms in place and installation of the projects.

He compared the nascent industry to early lessons learned in the oil and gas drilling sector, where drilling the first well of a program took 45 days, while the final project took only eight days, bringing down costs.

"I think you make that very rapid change quite quickly, the learning curve declines toward the end," he told Reuters at a London conference.

International wind energy players such as German engineering firm Siemens, Spain's Gamesa and Danish manufacturer Vestas in January announced plans to build manufacturing and research facilities in the UK.

Britain has awarded licenses to construct up to 40 gigawatts GW of offshore wind capacity off its coasts.

At the start of the year, Britain was the world leader in installed offshore wind capacity with 1,341 megawatts MW in operation, according to the European Wind Energy Association.

Related News

heat-exacerbates-electricity-struggles

Heat Exacerbates Electricity Struggles for 13,000 Families in America

NEW YORK - In a particular pocket of America, approximately 13,000 families endure the dual challenges of sweltering heat and living without electricity. This article examines the factors contributing to their plight, the impact of living without electricity during hot weather, and efforts to alleviate these hardships.

Challenges Faced by Families

For these 13,000 families, daily life is significantly impacted by the absence of electricity, especially during the scorching summer months. Without access to cooling systems such as air conditioners or fans, residents are exposed to dangerously high temperatures, which can lead to heat-related illnesses and discomfort, particularly among vulnerable…

READ MORE
wind solar record

Wind and Solar Double Global Share of Electricity in Five Years

READ MORE

Hydrogen 7

BMW boss says hydrogen, not electric, will be "hippest thing" to drive

READ MORE

City of Vancouver

City of Vancouver named Clean Energy Champion for Bloedel upgrades

READ MORE

powerlines

Court reinstates constitutional challenge to Ontario's hefty ‘global adjustment’ electricity charge

READ MORE