Boosting home-grown industry will bring down offshore wind deployment cost

UK ERC's report states that while the UK has big ambitions to maintain its position as a world-leading player in offshore wind, it is today importing 80% of equipment and services from abroad.

The UK faces significant challenges in meeting its renewable energy targets for 2020. Offshore wind is widely expected to make a major contribution. However, rising costs have been associated with its deployment. A new report from the UK energy research centre (UKERC) explains why costs have risen significantly since the mid 2000s – and suggests ways in which these costs may be reduced in future.

UK ERC's report states that while the UK has big ambitions to maintain its position as a world-leading player in offshore wind, it is today importing 80% of equipment and services from abroad. This presents a substantial opportunity to bolster the UK’s manufacturing industry while building a low carbon economy.

According to the report’s chief author, Dr Robert Gross, head of Technology and Policy assessment at UKERC, “The UK is not yet fully benefiting from being a worldleader in the field; in effect UK consumers are subsidising Danish and German wind energy companies. This report suggests that policies could do more both to bear down on costs and support a UK based industry.”/p>

The full report can be downloaded from the UKERC website: www.ukerc.ac.uk