RenewableUK today highlighted the announcement that the next stage of the giant Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in the North Sea has gained planning consent from the Energy Secretary Amber Rudd.
The Teesside project is equal in size to the world’s largest previously consented project, Dogger Bank Creyke Bank (also up to 2.4GW) situated alongside it, which gained consent in February 2015.
In addition, the huge project could create up to 4,750 direct and indirect jobs and generate more than £1.5 billion for the UK economy over its lifetime, according to the project’s developers RWE, SSE, Statkraft and Statoil – the Forewind consortium.
RenewableUK stated that the announcement comes at an uncertain time for the renewable energy industry as a whole following a series of Government announcements about reductions in financial support in other parts of the sector.
The Government has postponed the next round of auctions for Contracts for Difference, which provide financial support for renewable projects, until the spring. Greater clarity on the Government’s plans for this support system are expected in the autumn, RenewableUK said.
RenewableUK’s Chief Executive, Maria McCaffery , said: “This awe-inspiring offshore wind project has taken another significant step forward. The sheer size of Dogger Bank illustrates just how large the environmental and economic opportunities are in the North Sea for the UK’s world-leading offshore wind industry.
“However, the ambition of the industry needs to be matched by a vision from Government which is backed up by firm commitments on the levels of financial provision which will be available. We need to know that the political appetite exists to ensure that major infrastructure projects like this will gain the right level of support from Ministers – they hold the keys to unlocking the vast potential of the North Sea’s clean energy resources. The industry is set to play its part – but it needs a fair wind from Westminster in order to do so.”
Image: RenewableUK