GBP 100/MWh Achievable for UK Offshore Wind, Says DONG Energy

DONG Energy welcomed two reports today on the cost of offshore wind energy and agree that the cost reduction target set by the Government is achievable.

The target is to get the cost down to £100 per megawatt hour for offshore wind projects seeking financial investment approval in 2020.

Commenting today after the release of the reports at Renewable UK’s Global Offshore Wind conference, Benj Sykes, Director of UK Wind Operations at DONG Energy said:

“We are now seeing good progress in identifying ways to reduce the cost of offshore wind.

“DONG Energy has been an active partner in the preparation and information gathering for both these reports. We believe it’s vital that industry and government have the chance to sit down together and devise these sorts of solutions to get us to the £100 per megawatt hour target.”

The reports are published by the Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Task Force, set up by the Government and led by the wind industry and The Crown Estate.

This is the first report from the Task Force and The Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Pathways study.

Sykes continued:

“The timeline is tough so the task force must now work on implementing the ideas in their report.”

“DONG Energy is playing an instrumental part in this cost reduction journey. As well as investing in our pipeline of projects, we will be testing two next generation 6 megawatt offshore wind turbines at our Gunfleet Sands site. We are also taking on the lease of Belfast Harbour, which is nearly finished and will be the UK’s first bespoke installation facility for offshore wind.” 

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Offshore WIND staff, June 13, 2012; Image: DONG Energy