UK Urged to Set Floating Wind Targets

Friends of Floating Offshore Wind is calling on the UK to commit to a target of 1GW of floating offshore wind by 2025 and 5GW by 2030.

In “The Future’s Floating” position paper, the group also requested discussions with the UK government around a Sector Deal which would offer support for floating wind, either separately or as part of the wider Offshore Wind Sector Deal, to determine how the route to this market can be facilitated at the least cost for tax and bill payers.

Chris McConville, Chairman of the Friends of Floating Offshore Wind, said: “Our position paper makes a compelling case for supporting floating offshore wind with a route to market in the UK. The technology ticks all the boxes of the UK’s Industrial Strategy and aligns with the vision for a transformed economy. Not making use of this opportunity would mean leaving the benefits of this promising industry to other nations, a mistake we can’t afford to make again.”

According to the group, the support of floating wind projects would also offer local employment and the development of local supply chains for export markets, especially in deprived areas or where the transition and diversification from oil & gas are needed the most.

The Friends of Floating Offshore Wind was established in May 2016, gathering ten technology developers and associations with a mutual aim of promoting the interests of floating offshore wind in Scotland and the UK.

The group comprises Pilot Offshore Renewables, Hexicon, RES Offshore, IDEOL, SBM Offshore, Floating Power Plant, Glosten PelaStar, Principle Power Inc, Atkins, ACS Cobra and GICON.

NOTE: The original article was amended on Thursday, 15 March.