A study from Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) has found that nearly half the offshore wind projects needed to reach the government’s 2030 target are only at concept stage. Such projects typically take 13-plus years to move from concept to operation, many far longer, largely due to delays in government planning and approval processes. It means the UK is at risk of missing the target unless installations accelerate.

The findings will be contained in OEUK’s Economic Report 2022: A Focus on UK Energy Security, due for publication on Wednesday, September 7.

In April, however, Boris Johnson’s British Energy Security Strategy announced plans to make the UK “the Saudi Arabia of wind power” with a four-fold expansion of offshore wind by 2030.

The UK already has the world’s second largest installed offshore wind capacity, at around 12 GW. The strategy aims to increase it to 50 GW by 2030, of which at least a tenth is to take the form of floating wind farms.

The challenge of such an expansion is huge. It means the UK will need to install an estimated 3,200 new, and much larger, wind turbines by 2030 – roughly three new turbines every two days.

OEUK’s report will say this is achievable but only if the government removes regulatory and planning delays. These mean, for example, that it typically takes four years simply to gain planning consent for new projects.

“This scale of installation is very ambitious, and it will require significant improvements to the regulatory and permitting process. Of the potential capacity additions before 2030, 46% (almost 18.5 GW) is only at concept stage,

OEUK’s Economic Report will call on the UK’s new government to implement four key measures from its Energy Security Strategy to boost the rate of offshore wind installations.

1. Cut planning consent times from four years to one.
2. Streamline the Environmental Assessment process
3. Cut red tape using the government’s Offshore Wind Acceleration Task Force
4. Create a fast-track planning process for non-controversial projects

Dornan said that the UK’s offshore industry could achieve many of the government’s targets – but only if those changes were introduced fast. “Our sector is showing how its vital skills and expertise can drive the low-carbon energy and emissions solutions needed for the future.

The story received coverage in BusinessGreen, BusinessNewsWales and DailyBusiness.

The press release from OEUK can be found here.