The funding is expected to pave the way for the development of port infrastructure for manufacturing floating offshore wind turbines on a mass scale
Britain aims to achieve 1GW capacity by means of floating offshore wind by 2030. (Credit: Steppinstars from Pixabay)
The UK government has announced a £160m funding boost for new large-scale floating offshore wind ports and facilities in Scotland and Wales.
The funding will be available to developers and manufacturers, who are planning to invest in the emerging industry can bid for their proposals, said the UK government.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the newly allocated funding will support the target in the government’s Ten Point Plan to achieve 1GW capacity by means of floating offshore wind by the end of this decade. The capacity is approximately nine times more than the current volumes around the world for the technology, said the British government.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Offshore wind is a UK success story in forging our Green Industrial Revolution. Tapping into this emerging sector will boost our clean electricity generation even further, creating jobs and green innovation across the whole of the UK.”
Boosted by private sector investment, the government funding will enable the development of port infrastructure for producing floating offshore wind turbines on a mass scale and installing them at sea.
The UK government believes that tapping the deep waters off the Scottish coast provides huge opportunities for the coastal communities of Scotland.
It further stated that the Celtic Sea is also a key development opportunity for the offshore wind sector owing to its deep waters and strong winds around it. These factors will help create major opportunities for development in Wales, said the British government.
UK Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Floating offshore wind is key to unlocking the spectacular wind energy resource we enjoy in the UK, particularly in the deep waters around the coasts of Scotland and Wales. This new investment will put us in a leading position to capture the full economic benefit of this fast growing industry.”
Last month, the government allocated more than £380m in its Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 with an aim to boost the offshore wind sector. This includes an amount of £160m dedicated towards offshore wind power hubs.