News Archive
Frustrated contractors poised for turbine push
Released on 01/07/2008
The UK’s multi-billion pound wind power industry has welcomed Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Renewable Energy Strategy, but claims there are still too many barriers impeding swift progress.
The wind power developer Renewable Energy Systems (RES), part of the Sir Robert McAlpine construction group, backed Brown’s strategy, launched on June 26, but complained that grid access problems are slowing down the whole process.
Douglas Wright, chief executive of RES UK & Ireland, told New Energy Focus: “We have been ready to build hundreds of megawatts of onshore wind energy… for several years but have been frustrated by planning delays and the difficulty of getting connected to the grid.
“The Government’s commitment to wind power as the key technology that will deliver short-term targets is welcome, but what we need now is quick action to make it happen.
“This means positive planning policies. Ofgem’s remit is to be consistent with a sustainable national energy policy, a long-term strategy for grid infrastructure investment and action to address the supply chain and skills shortfalls in the wind industry. We are keen that the Renewables Obligation remains in order to protect investor confidence.”
The British Wind Energy Association also demanded government intervention to speed up the process, predicting that a further £60 billion of investment would be needed in wind energy.
Its chief executive, Maria McCaffery, said: “The Government is saying ‘Yes to wind’, and we give the strategy a thumbs-up, however words will not be enough – now we have to deliver this strategy with decisive action.
“Time is running out to take real action on climate change and to plug the UK’s looming energy gap – only swift action to unblock the planning regime and fix the grid will allow us to reach the targets on time.”
Wind provides around 39 per cent of the UK’s total 5GW of renewable energy. The Government’s new strategy states that 33GW of offshore wind might be achievable by 2030, with 14GW of onshore wind by 2020.
The BWEA said 19GW worth of wind projects were now in development, with nearly 7GW either already approved or under construction.
Although most wind power will be offshore, the Renewable Energy Strategy also states a strong role for onshore wind installations and wants to double the current number of 2,000 by 2020.
As of May 2008, there were 165 onshore wind farms up and running, generating 2GW of power, with a further 366 farms in the planning process promising a further 10GW. The UK is set to overtake Denmark as the world’s biggest producer of offshore wind energy.
The development of offshore sites is being coordinated by the Crown Estate, the owner of most of the UK seabed, which granted consent for 12 sites in 2001 totaling 1GW of capacity, which should all be operational by 2010.
The Crown Estate is now seeking proposals for its third round of offshore development, seeking a further 25GW of capacity from offshore wind. The Government is working with regulator Ofgem to prepare a new offshore grid to connect up new wind installations.
