5 gigawatt milestone

RenewableUK, the trade association for the wind and marine energy industries, has recently highlighted the fact that the UK’s offshore wind capacity has surpassed five gigawatts (GW), a significant milestone in the sector.

5.054GW is now installed in UK waters, which is enough to supply the needs of over 3.5 million British households, saving 6.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

The threshold was crossed when Gwynt y Mor wind farm, off the coast of North Wales, was officially inaugurated last week. The wind farm has a capacity of 576 megawatts, which is the second largest in the world behind the London Array in the Thames Estuary.

RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive, Maf Smith, said: “This is an important landmark, which no other country is anywhere close to equalling, as we have more offshore wind installed than the rest of the world put together. It’s further evidence of how much the UK has achieved in developing the offshore wind industry in a short space of time - and there’s a healthy pipeline of projects still to come, as long as Government policy remains supportive. Today’s record capacity translates into decades of clean energy, thousands of green jobs and less dependence on fossil fuels”.