CSA Z462 Arc Flash Training – Electrical Safety Compliance Course
Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.
- Live Online
- 6 hours Instructor-led
- Group Training Available
UK Offshore Wind Energy is scaling fast as Britain targets 40 GW, with Siemens, Vestas, and Gamesa building facilities, collaboration cutting turbine, substructure, and installation costs, and a learning curve driving rapid cost reduction.
Essential Takeaways
UK offshore build to 40 GW cuts costs via collaboration and learning, lowering turbine and installation expenses.
- Britain targets up to 40 GW of offshore wind capacity.
- Collaboration reduces turbine, substructure, installation costs.
- Siemens, Vestas, Gamesa plan UK factories and R&D.
- Learning curve mirrors oil and gas efficiency gains.
- UK leads with 1,341 MW installed offshore capacity.
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 energy projects 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, including the availability of installation vessels for 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, in line with the government's wind farm plans, manufacturing and research facilities in the UK.
Britain has awarded licenses, including the largest offshore wind farm among them, to construct up to 40 gigawatts GW of offshore wind capacity off its coasts.
At the start of the year, following a renewable energy milestone for the country, 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
Related News
Electricity prices rise more than double EU average in first half of 2021
Class-action lawsuit: Hydro-Québec overcharged customers up to $1.2B
Ontario Energy minister downplays dispute between auditor, electricity regulator
Only one in 10 utility firms prioritise renewable electricity – global study
Doug Ford's New Stance on Wind Power in Ontario
Hydro One’s takeover of U.S. utility sparks customer backlash: ‘This is an incredibly bad idea’
Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter
Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.
Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE
- Timely insights from industry experts
- Practical solutions T&D engineers
- Free access to every issue