A setback has been faced by the government’s plans for clean energy with the decision of the Danish energy company Orsted to scrap a large windfarm project off the coast of East Yorkshire. The Hornsea 4 project, which had the potential to become one of the largest offshore wind farms globally with a capacity of 2.4GW, has been abandoned due to economic reasons despite having a 15-year contract with the UK government for power sale at a fixed price. The UK’s offshore wind sector has seen escalating costs recently.
The cancellation of the Hornsea 4 project by Orsted marks the second time a major developer has pulled out of an offshore project. The Swedish company Vattenfall had to stop the development of a 1.4GW wind farm off the Norfolk coast in July 2023 due to similar cost issues. This particular project was taken over by the German energy firm RWE, who have committed to seeing it through. The challenges faced by offshore developers raise doubts about the feasibility of the government’s clean power goal for 2030.
The UK aims to increase its renewable energy contribution to 95% by 2030, which will require a tripling of offshore wind capacity and a doubling of solar and onshore wind power, as per estimates by Aurora Energy. Furthermore, a substantial upgrade to the electricity grid, involving the installment of 620 miles of new power lines along with substations and other infrastructure, will be necessary. Some local communities are resistant to the idea of significant new energy installations near their residences.
Despite the hurdles in meeting the 2030 target, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband remains committed to the plan, emphasizing its importance in reducing bills, combating the climate crisis, and ensuring energy security. The government has expressed its intention to collaborate with Orsted to revive the Hornsea 4 project and remains optimistic about achieving the clean power targets by 2030. Despite the challenges posed by global pressures and individual business decisions, the government’s mission-oriented approach aims to navigate through these obstacles to reach the set goals
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