Green light for green energy: The British government wants to turn the United Kingdom into a “Saudi Arabia of wind power”. German companies also want to get involved in the expansion.
After a campaign, German companies are also allowed to participate in the expansion of wind power off the British coast.
According to information from Monday, the Karlsruhe energy group EnBW and the British BP were awarded the contract for an almost three gigawatt wind farm off the east coast of Scotland. They pay an option fee of £85.9 million, according to Crown Estate Scotland, which manages the seabed.
Maximum total output of around 25 gigawatts
The project is one of a total of 17 that have been approved, said the Scottish offshoot of the royal property manager. The maximum total output of the projects is around 25 gigawatts. According to Crown Estate, the Baywa group was also successful with an offer. The Munich-based company is planning a floating wind turbine with an output of 960 megawatts and will pay an option fee of £33 million.
For EnBW, the wind farm means a significant expansion of its energy generation at sea. To date, the group has commissioned four offshore wind farms with a total output of one gigawatt. More are planned.
According to the information provided, the new project can supply more than three million households with wind power. The approximately 860 square kilometer area is almost 60 kilometers off the coast of Aberdeen. Their advantage is a shallow water depth of 65 to 75 meters, which EnBW knows from the North Sea, according to Michael Class, Head of Generation Portfolio Development. Depending on the turbine output then available, 150 to 190 wind turbines could be anchored in the ground. From 2026/2027, the wind farm “Morven” is to be built, which in Scottish Gaelic means “child of the sea”.
A final investment decision has yet to be made. According to EnBW Chief Technology Officer Georg Stamatelopoulos, the costs cannot yet be quantified. You can calculate around 2000 euros per kilowatt hour.
“Morven” is another cooperation between BP and EnBW. Last year they were awarded contracts for two projects in the Irish Sea, which are said to have a total capacity of up to three gigawatts. According to EnBW CEO Frank Mastiaux, together they are the largest offshore project in the company’s history.
Stamatelopoulos justified the fact that the Karlsruhe group is so active off the British coast with the pioneering role of the United Kingdom in the offshore market. A proven compensation model and a regulatory framework would give security that investments are profitable. Compared to Germany, the expansion targets and the upcoming projects are significantly larger.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to transform the United Kingdom into a “Saudi Arabia of wind power”. By 2030, his government wants to provide 40 gigawatts of offshore wind power, which is 10 gigawatts more than previously planned. Then all households should receive “green” electricity. According to the Department for Economic Affairs in London, this is an important stepping stone for the planned goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
“Fantastic vote of confidence”
EnBW board member Stamatelopoulos assured: “We do not neglect Germany.” In 2010, EnBW built the first German offshore wind farm Baltic 1 in the Baltic Sea. It operates two wind farms there and two in the North Sea. In addition to projects planned here, the company is gaining a foothold internationally, for example in France.
Crown Estate Scotland chief Simon Hodge said: “Today’s results are a fantastic vote of confidence in Scotland’s ability to transform its energy industry.” Just months after hosting the UN climate change conference COP26, the auctions marked a major step towards a greener economy. Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the plans a “truly historic” opportunity on the way to net zero. She announced billions in investments in “green” jobs.
The waters around Scotland are known for large oil and gas deposits. But the Scottish governing party SNP, which allied with the Greens in 2021, wants to reduce the share of fossil fuels and promote renewable energies. Experts are sure that thousands of workers from the oil industry can be successfully retrained. A development that is also taking place at EnBW and was used as an argument, as Stamatelopoulos said.
Source From: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
