Wind Energy in United Kingdom
2022 wind energy numbers
In 2022, UK’s renewable energy capacity increased by 3.8GW. Of which, 2.7GW derived from offshore wind, escalating its cumulative capacity of 13.8GW. Furthermore, the British Energy Security Strategy, published in April 2022, outlined a new offshore wind target of 50GW to be installed by 2030, up from 40GW previously.
To learn more about wind energy in the UK, please review their chapter in the IEA Wind TCP 2022 Annual Report.
National Targets
The UK Government published the British Energy Security Strategy in April 2022 which outlined a new ambition of installing 50GW of offshore wind energy in UK waters by 2030. Of this 50GW, 5GW is intended to be floating offshore wind, which will be supported by investments of £160 million (186 million EUR; 207 million USD) in ports and supply chain, and £31 million (36 million EUR; 40 million USD) in R&D. The strategy also highlights the aim to reduce consenting time for projects, which currently stands at four years, down to one year. The increased ambition emphasised in the strategy means that the sector can expect to support 90,000 jobs by the end of the decade [2].
Progress & Operational Details
The total renewable energy generated in 2022, experienced a significant growth of 9.5 percentage points, which closely matches the previous record set in 2020. As a result, renewable energy accounted for 41.4% of overall energy production. This growth was primarily driven by the installation of additional capacity, particularly in the offshore wind sector. Consequently, energy generation for wind (both offshore and onshore), as well as solar energy, reached record high levels. Of the total electricity generated by renewables, an immense 59% was produced by both offshore and onshore wind power. Average load factors for offshore wind accounted for 41% while onshore wind generated 27%. Both have increased compared to 2021 figures as a result of higher wind speeds.
National RDD Priorities and Budget
Negotiations between the EU and UK Government are still taking place regarding the UK’s participation in the flagship Horizon Europe (HEU) research and innovation funding programme. The delay has hindered the participation of UK-based organisations in key HEU projects which is potentially damaging to the UK’s ongoing technology development in the offshore renewable energy sector. In July 2022, as a result of the delay in finalising the UK’s involvement in the programme, the UK Government announced various measures to support those affected. For example by making additional funding available to existing UK research funding schemes [10].