Meeting the government's four-fold increase target for offshore renewable energy 2030 could be “potentially achievable” if the rate of wind turbine installation would double or triple, the report says.
The research found that almost half of the offshore wind projects needed to reach the target are only at the concept stage, despite the deadline for the government's targets being less than eight years away.
When it comes to offshore wind, it typically takes more than 13 years to move from the planning to the operation stage due to planning and approval delays. As a result, the UK is at risk of missing net zero targets, according to the report.
OEUK is a trade body for the UK offshore energy industries, covering both renewables and oil & gas.
“As of late August, OEUK knew of around 40 projects planned through to 2030 at various stages of the development cycle," said Ross Dornan, lead author of the OEUK’s report. “Based on this pipeline, the...