UK government earmarks £160 million for floating offshore wind

The UK government has earmarked up to £160 million (€189 million) in new funding to kickstart the rollout of large-scale floating offshore wind ports and factories across the country.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said the funding will support the UK’s Ten Point Plan to deliver 1GW of floating offshore wind by 2030. 

The world’s largest floating project to date, the 50MW Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Kincardine Offshore Windfarm (50MW) Offshoreoff Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, Europe Click to see full details, was brought online last month off Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

The UK government expects the funding to spark private-sector investment and result in port infrastructure capable of mass-producing and installing floating offshore wind turbines. This would create thousands of new jobs and reduce imports. 

Currently, the UK manufactures some offshore wind turbine components but imports turbines from other countries. Large offshore wind projects off the UK coastline are often served by North Sea ports located in other countries.

Business & Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Floating offshore wind is key to unlocking the spectacular wind energy resource we enjoy in the UK, particularly in the deep waters around the coasts of Scotland and Wales. This new investment will put us in a leading position to capture the full economic benefit of this fast growing industry.”

The newly allocating funding follows a similar scheme last autumn to upgrade ports and infrastructure for the conventional offshore wind industry.

South Korean firm SeAH Wind said in July 2021 it would use funding from the earlier scheme to build a turbine monopile factory in Teesside, in the north of England.