Offshore Wind Worldwide Regulatory Framework in Selected Countries 5th Edition 2024 - Flipbook - Page 334
United Kingdom
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designed to assess the development of a
coordinated offshore network, integrating
offshore wind into the onshore transmission network. Phase 1, which completed in
December 2020, indicated that an integrated
approach for all offshore projects had the
potential to save consumers £6 billion in
capital and operating expenditure between
2020 and 2050, as well as halving the number of new electricity infrastructure assets.
There were however concerns about deliverability, and whether the integration required
by the project might risk missing the current
target of 40GW of offshore wind by 2030
(this target has been amended to 50GW of
offshore wind by 2030).
Phase 2 to evolve the project commenced in
January 2021 and involves the engagement
of industry stakeholders and the mapping of
early stages for the project. In July 2022, ESO
published The Pathway to 2030 Holistic Network Design.16 ESO have now commenced
work on the Holistic Network Design Follow
up Exercise and the scope has been agreed
through terms of reference. In March 2024,
ESO published Beyond 2030: A national blueprint for a decarbonised electricity system
in Great Britain Report, which incorporated
their recommendations for the Follow up
Exercise with their annual network options
assessment.17
(g) New UK Government’s push
on wind energy
The new Labour Government under Keir
Starmer has already initiated several significant reforms to accelerate the expansion
of onshore and offshore wind. During the
election, the Labour Party made significant
commitments to transforming the UK's renewable energy landscape, particularly with
a focus on offshore wind and other clean
energy sources. Labour's manifesto outlined
an ambitious plan to quadruple the country's offshore wind capacity by 2030, aiming
to deliver 52 GW of offshore wind power as
part of a broader strategy to generate nearly
90% of electricity and 50% of heat from
renewable and low-carbon sources by that
year. The party also pledged to build 7,000
new offshore wind turbines in UK waters,
with a goal to make the UK a global leader in
this sector.
One of the standout features of Labour's
reformative plan is the creation of a publicly
owned energy company called "Great British
Energy," which will partner with private
and public sectors, including The Crown
Estate, to invest in leading technologies and
support capital-intensive renewable energy
projects. Labour wants to advance seabed
leases in this new collaboration between GB
Energy and The Crown Estate.
The Government has also raised the budget
available for “emerging technologies”, such
as floating offshore wind, by £165m to
£270m – a 61% increase and a clear sign of
confidence for the UK’s floating offshore
wind industry.18 Labour's plan for the off-
16 https://www.nationalgrideso.com/future-energy/pathway-2030-holistic-network-design.
17 https://www.neso.energy/document/317401/download.
18 https://windeurope.org/newsroom/news/new-uk-government-shows-impressive-determination-on-wind-energy/.
