Giant wind farm shows energy challenge

The 100 turbines of the Thanet Offshore Wind Farm soar out of the morning mist in the English Channel. This is the world’s largest offshore wind farm, for the moment, at least.

The UK now has more offshore wind capacity installed than the rest of the world put together. The UK is setting great store by the potential of offshore wind to drive down carbon emissions.

Offshore wind is more effective than onshore, the turbines spin in stronger and more reliable winds, making them more efficient. The aim is to have 30 per cent of Britain’s electricity generated from wind by 2020 to meet EU greenhouse gas emission targets.

The turbines here have a capacity of 300MW, enough to provide the annual electricity needs of 200,000 homes.

It would be foolish if we weren’t to develop the supply chain for offshore wind. Chris Huhne MP, Energy Secretary

Together with the Crystal Rig II wind farm in the Scottish borders, which went on stream earlier in September, the UK now has 5.1GW of wind power operating, providing electricity for just under thee million homes. (1GW is one gigawatt, or a billion watts).

It is a significant milestone, but Germany passed that mark 12 years ago. Another 18GW of wind power is either under construction, or has been given consent or is in the planning system.

Even so, it will be a huge challenge to deliver all the projects in the pipeline to meet the EU target. And there is a strong possibility all the construction of Britain’s future offshore wind farms will be done from European, not British, ports.

The Thanet wind farm was built using a barge and cranes deployed from Dunkirk in France because the docks there had the space and facilities missing at British ports.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a world leader in offshore wind. Dr Gordon Edge, RenewableUK

80 per cent of the construction jobs for the Thanet farm went overseas.

RenewableUK, the national body for Britain’s wind industry, is warning 50,000 jobs could be at risk if manufacturers base their offshore wind operations outside the UK.

Labour promised £60m to upgrade the infrastructure at Britain’s ports to attract wind turbine manufacturers to the UK. But that money is vulnerable in the Coalition Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

The Energy Secretary Chris Huhne admitted as much again today on the ferry to visit the wind farm. “I think my colleagues are aware of the importance of developing the infrastructure and the supply chain”, he said.

“It would be foolish if we weren’t to develop the supply chain for offshore wind.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a world leader in offshore wind,” says Dr Gordon Edge, Director of Policy for RenewableUK, “but if we fail to capitalise on the lead we have in this sector, these jobs will be lost to rival companies.”

Making a decision to invest in the infrastructure at British ports will be a major litmus test of the government’s commitment to be the “the greenest government ever.”