UK Releases Investment Guide

On 22 July 2014, the Government department for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and HM Treasury jointly published a guide detailing opportunities to invest in UK Infrastructure (Investment Guide).

Highlights include potential investment opportunities/case studies in respect of renewable energy projects within the offshore wind, onshore wind and biomass sectors.

For example, the Investment Guide highlights that the Green Investment Bank Offshore Wind Fund are seeking to partner with third-party institutional capital to provide access to the UK renewable energy sector. The Investment Guide also lists a number of offshore wind projects which have been consented and are looking for additional investment.

According to UKTI and HM Treasury figures, the pipeline of investment in energy sector is up to £100bn to 2020. Specifically, the Investment Guide summarises the potential for investment in onshore wind, offshore wind and biomass projects as follows:

• UK Offshore Wind Programme:
• Installed capacity: 3.7 GW
• Under Construction: 1.4 GW
• 2020 potential: 8-15 GW
• Potential investment to 2020: £16.2bn – 21.3bn

The Investment Guide will be of particular interest to foreign investors looking to invest in the UK market and provides a very useful summary of the investment opportunities that currently exist in relation to operational assets as well as forthcoming investment opportunities in respect of assets that are in the development/planning phase.