Following today’s news about the award of Contracts for Difference (CfDs) by the UK Government and release of the Cost Reduction Monitoring Framework (CRMF) report, The Crown Estate commented on these two big news for the offshore wind industry in the UK.
Huub den Rooijen, our Head of Offshore Wind, said: “With over 4GW in operation, 1.5GW under construction and almost 4GW with a Contract for Difference, today’s announcement marks a milestone for the offshore wind industry, which is on course to meet around ten per cent of the UK’s electricity demand by 2020”.
“Today’s announcements are clear evidence that offshore wind is on a trajectory to bring costs down below the target of £100 per MWh by 2020 and underpins the material contribution that offshore wind can make to the UK’s energy mix over the long term.”
As manager of the UK seabed, The Crown estate awarded agreements for lease to East Anglia ONE and Neart na Gaoithe in 2011. It invested in a range of enabling actions to encourage the development of the offshore wind sector and drive down costs, from direct activities such as environmental and technical studies, through to on-going collaboration with industry to share data and best practice.
Image: The Crown estate (Illustration)