Offshore Wind powering 41% of UK homes
Offshore wind farms in UK waters generated enough power to meet the electricity needs of 41% (11.5m) of the nation’s homes in a new record year in 2022, according to the latest Offshore Wind Report from The Crown Estate.
In total Offshore Wind generated 45TWh of electricity last year, up from 37TWh in 2021 and a sixfold increase over the past 10 years, and is estimated to be generating enough electricity to meet the needs of nearly half (47%) of UK homes by the end of the current year. The new record was achieved despite 2022 wind speeds coming in lower than the long-term average.
Last year saw a number of key developments in the UK offshore wind sector. Hornsea 2, the world’s largest offshore wind farm with capacity to power 1.1m homes, became fully operational, as did Moray East off the North East coast of Scotland.
There are now 50 wind farms in UK waters which are either operating or under construction, with another seven that have secured a Contract for Difference (CfD). There is also a significant development pipeline, including up to 8GW of additional capacity to come from the Round 4 projects that signed Agreements for Lease with The Crown Estate in early 2023.
Internationally, the UK continues to be at the forefront of offshore wind and is the most attractive place to invest. In 2022, UK offshore wind capacity accounted for 24% of global capacity, second only to China, with continued progress to push hard to meet the Government’s target of 50GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.
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