RenewableUK and the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) have welcomed the UK Government making available up to GBP 557 million for the future Contract for Difference (CfD) auctions and the announcement that the next CfD round will be held in spring 2019.
RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Hugh McNeal said: “The Government’s investment and long-term strategy for offshore wind is delivering great economic benefits all around the country. Now we need the Government to show the same level of commitment to our cutting-edge wave and tidal energy industries. Innovative floating offshore wind technology also offers new opportunities. Ministers should send a clear signal that they understand the many ways our island nation can tap the enormous and diverse energy resources in our seas, and export these industries globally”.
The GBP 557 million will be made available for renewable energy projects as part of the Clean Growth Strategy. The strategy sets out how the country can benefit from low carbon economic opportunities through the creation of new technologies and new businesses, as well as new jobs, while meeting ambitious national targets to tackle climate change.
“Government is clear that clean growth is a priority for the UK, and that the low-carbon sector can help to increase the competitiveness and productivity of our economy in the decades ahead, creating high-value jobs as well as taking effective action on climate change. However, what’s missing is clarity on how the lowest-cost technology, onshore wind, can deliver for UK consumers,” McNeal said.
Commenting on the launch of the UK Government’s Clean Growth Strategy, Benj Sykes , Co-Chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC), said: “OWIC warmly welcomes the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy which will further build on the UK’s world-leading renewable energy sector. £557 million for future CfD auctions provides certainty for the industry and the opportunity to build more innovative, low-cost renewable projects.
“Offshore wind can be the backbone of the UK’s electricity system and we are now working with the Government to deliver an ambitious and transformational Sector Deal. This will capitalise on the UK’s global leadership to build a world-leading supply chain for the growing international market and create thousands more skilled, long-term jobs right across the country.”