Study sets out potential for offshore wind

The Future Offshore Wind Scenarios (FOWS) project has set out a framework for how the UK could use offshore wind to meet its net-zero target.

This project seeks to inform decision making and support the deployment of offshore wind by looking at factors such as the cost of energy, that must be balanced within the marine environment.

FOWS sets out spatial scenarios for offshore wind development up until 2050. It looks at the implications for future development costs and choice of offshore wind technology, and how these interact with other infrastructure, marine industries and the environment.

The findings of the study show that floating offshore wind farms have an important role to play in meeting net-zero targets. This type of offshore wind increases location options and has the potential to ease spatial pressures in UK waters.

FOWS was commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), The Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland, and the study itself was undertaken by Arup with support from ORE Catapult and ABPmer.

Energy minister Greg Hands commented: "We are already a world leader in offshore wind. This report will help inform the UK’s future deployment of renewable energy, reducing our exposure to volatile global gas prices and boosting our energy security."

Head of marine development at The Crown Estate, Will Apps, said: "Offshore wind is set to play a pivotal role in the UK's 2050 energy system and net-zero transition - but delivering on that potential will require balanced and holistic consideration of other marine activities and the natural environment. This study, supported through our Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme, for the first time places the nation’s net-zero offshore wind ambitions into a spatial context, providing an excellent evidence base for policymakers, the industry and broader stakeholders to use as they work together to deliver this potential, vital for UK energy security and the green economy."