The UK’s first gigawatt of offshore wind energy capacity was achieved last week when two wind farms off the coast of Britain began generating electricity.
According to RenewableUK (formerly known as the British Wind Energy Association), the nation’s 11 offshore wind farms, incorporating 336 installed wind turbines, makes the UK a global leader in the offshore sector.
The milestone was reached in a decade, with future additional gigawatts likely to occur much faster. Over 40GW of offshore wind farms are at various stages of development in the UK, with in excess of 4GW in construction or with planning consent .
The sector is projected to provide over 150 TWh of clean electricity a year; nearly half of the UK’s total electricity consumption in 2009 of 374 TWh. The offshore wind sector is also expected to create up to 70,000 green collar jobs and attract billions of dollars in investment.
According to the Digest of United Kingdom energy statistics (DUKES), released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the UK’s offshore wind resource is vast, with the potential to provide more than the UK’s current demand for electricity. Offshore wind speeds are higher than those onshore (typically up to 0.5 m/s higher 10 km offshore) and also less turbulent.
Statistics from DUKES 2009 edition also state there is a substantial on-shore small scale wind power wind presence in the UK, with an estimated 14,000 wind turbine installations up to 100 kW , representing an installed generating capacity of around 26 MW. Approximately 80 per cent of all small-scale turbines are micro-wind turbines that provide 9 MW of generating capacity. Electricity generated from small-scale wind has been estimated to be in the region of 16 GWh per year.
