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UK falling behind in offshore wind manufacturing, threatening Net Zero goals

By: Chloe Emanuel 07/06/2024 IPPR

General Windfarms

The UK is on track to miss its 2030 offshore wind targets by 18 years, according to a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The think tank's findings highlight the country's slow pace in manufacturing and installing offshore wind farms, risking thousands of jobs and billions in economic revenue.

The IPPR report emphasizes that the UK needs to triple its current installation rate to meet its goals. Currently, the UK lags behind other European nations, such as Denmark, Germany, and Spain, in manufacturing key wind turbine components like nacelles, blades, towers, foundations, and cables. This deficiency has cost the UK up to £30 billion in lost opportunities from 2008 to 2022.

Despite its current shortcomings, the UK has the potential to boost its wind manufacturing sector significantly. With an investment of £3.2 billion in new manufacturing facilities, the UK could create tens of thousands of jobs, particularly benefiting small and medium-sized businesses. The report calls for the construction of additional factories for blades, nacelles, towers, and foundations within five years to capitalize on this opportunity.

Simone Gasperin, an associate fellow at IPPR, stressed the urgency of seizing this opportunity to become a leader in wind manufacturing. "The UK has missed out from becoming a world leader not just in wind power, but also in wind manufacturing. This has cost thousands of jobs, billions for the economy, and is putting future net zero targets for wind deployment at risk," Gasperin said.

Ajai Ahluwalia, head of supply chain at Renewable UK, echoed these sentiments, pointing to the newly released Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan. This plan aims to triple the UK's offshore wind manufacturing capacity over the next decade, potentially supporting an additional 10,000 jobs annually and boosting the economy by £25 billion by 2035.

The IPPR report suggests several policy measures to address the issue, including ensuring long-term contracts for developers, supporting businesses with targeted grants, and upgrading infrastructure to facilitate the delivery and installation of large offshore wind farms. Failure to act, the report warns, could undermine the UK's energy independence and net zero targets, missing a crucial opportunity for economic growth.

For more information about offshore wind farm projects across the globe, click here.

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UK falling behind in offshore wind manufacturing, threatening Net Zero goals

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