ECCC frustration at lack of offshore wind progress

Commenting during a lengthy ECCC session on the economics of wind power, he appeared critical of the industry’s inability to exploit the country’s strong development opportunities.

Having just been told that the UK was the ‘natural locus’ for offshore wind globally and that opportunities for large investment in the sector was ‘ours to lose’, Mr Yeo replied: “It seems frustrating that here we have a great potential industry on our doorstep, a lot of expertise, technology which was developed for the offshore oil and gas industry and yet because of some uncertainty about EMR, we’re not doing anything about it.”

Urging his final line-up of witnesses to take the development option ‘for goodness sake’ he asked if the imminent delivery of future support decisions would be sufficient.

“There’s a real issue about the level of confidence which people have, and the investment environment there is, and whether or not that enables people across the whole supply chain to make really long-term decisions,” responded Vestas’ Government Relations Manager,
Sarah Merrick. “At the moment, it’s very difficult to see much visibility in terms of what’s likely to happen beyond the end of the RO.”

Falck Renewables’ Chief Executive William Heller, agreed, adding that the industry needed to feel things were ‘moving forward in a proper manner’.

edie staff