UK warned not to throw away floating wind leadership role as global rivals circle

The global pipeline for floating offshore wind projects has jumped by almost a third in the last year, with the UK remaining a leader in the sector but other countries “determined to get a slice of the action,” according to a new report by RenewableUK.

RenewableUK said today (Wednesday) that the global pipeline for projects has grown 32% from 185GW to 244GW in the last 12 months.

The number of projects – spanning those in the early stages of development to fully operational – has risen from 230 to 285, according to the industry body's data.

Despite the huge pipeline, only 227MW of floating wind is operational, with most of that in Norway (94MW across three projects) and the UK (80MW across two projects). Portugal, China, Japan, Spain and France together have nine projects up and running installations.

Globally, 46MW is under construction across three projects, with 576MW are consented or in the pre-construction phase (11 projects). There are 80 projects totalling 68GW of capacity in the planning system or with a lease agreement, while 175GW of projects are in early development or applying for a lease (177 projects).

Nearly two-thirds of floating wind capacity globally is being developed in Europe (160GW), with 14% in the UK (35GW – of which 29GW is in Scottish waters). Other projects are being developed mainly off the west coast of the US, the southeast coast of Australia and South Korea.​

Italy now has the largest project pipeline at 40GW, but almost all of its 47 projects are at an early stage of development, with only one (90MW) submitted into the planning system so far, said RenewableUK.

RenewableUK predicts that floating wind will represent well over half of the UK’s offshore wind generation fleet by 2050.

It said the UK government’s target of reaching 5GW of floating wind in UK waters by 2030 “remains achievable”. However, it warned that future contract-for-difference (CfD) green auctions “must be underpinned by sustainable parameters”.

UK seabed landlord The Crown Estate is currently drafting rules for a milestone 4.5GW floating wind leasing round in the Celtic Sea.

RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail said the report shows that “although the UK is a world leader in floating wind, other countries are eyeing the massive economic opportunity offered by this innovative technology and are determined to get a slice of the action.”

He called for an urgent “step-change” from the UK government to ensure that “this cutting-edge industry can attract billions in investment to boost deployment and build up new supply chains, rather than focusing solely on a race to the bottom on prices.”

“Sustainable prices” are needed to enable “stepping-stone projects to go ahead in a successful auction next year, and every year going forward,” he said.

This would in turn allow the industry to “replicate the cost reductions we’ve seen in fixed-foundation offshore wind, as well as catalysing supply chain development,” he said. “We’re determined to make the 2020s a decade of acceleration for floating wind”.

RenewableUK released the report to coincide with the opening of its two-day floating offshore wind conference and exhibition in Scotland.