2018 record-breaking year for UK offshore wind

According to data published by Renewable UK, 2018 has been a record year for new offshore wind capacity installed in the UK.

This year, more than 2GW worth of offshore wind farms became operational in UK waters, with a total of eight new facilities opening.

This breaks the previous record set in 2012, when a total of 1,154MW capacity was installed versus a total for 2018 of 2,121MW. However, the number of turbines rose by just 8% in that time – with 367 turbines installed this year, compared to 309 in 2012. This shows that overall turbines are producing a lot more energy than they were six years ago.

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Emma Pinchbeck, executive director of Renewable UK, commented on the data, stating that the company was “thrilled” to see the UK install so much new renewable energy capacity.

“This is just the beginning of the great shift to renewables,” she said. “By 2030, offshore wind could be generating more than a third of the UK’s entire electricity needs, with 30GW up and running.”

Pinchbeck stated that over the next 10 years, the industry is set to bring £48bn into the UK and employ 27,000 skilled workers.

“Offshore wind has brought the UK jobs, lower bills and renewable energy. It’s offering even more to the UK in the anticipated offshore wind sector deal, which the government has said it wants to finalise by Christmas,” she added.

According to the Offshore Wind Journal, the capacity installed in the UK this year is enough to power more than 2.3mn homes.