2045 floating wind target ‘not sensible’

The government has rejected pressure from MPs to set longer term targets for deploying floating offshore wind farms, saying that to do so would not be sensible.

It follows calls from the House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee for the UK government to set a target for offshore wind deployment by 2045. This would go beyond the existing target of 5GW of floating wind by 2030.

In its response to the committee’s report, the government says targets can have a positive impact on ambitions for renewable energy deployment by giving confidence to the market.

However these benefits must be balanced against observing how emerging technologies shape up over time, it says: “Determining the exact configuration of the future energy system is not sensible.

“We need to retain the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances, develop market frameworks that incentivise a low cost, reliable system and provide the opportunity for innovation to develop new approaches and drive down costs.”

The response says the government will continue to review its plans, drawing on advice from experts and adjusting course to ensure that the UK remains on track to deliver a reliable, low-cost energy system that is consistent with the UK’s 2050 net zero target.

Responding to a recommendation by the committee that the parameters for the upcoming Contracts for Difference round 5 should be re-examined to reflect developers’ increased costs, the response says the secretary of state for energy security and net zero has the opportunity to increase the auction budget after the window for applications has closed.

The Celtic Sea, off the coast of south Wales, has been identified as one of the key locations for deployment of floating offshore wind technology.