Security concerns aired over offshore ring main plans

RenewableUK has raised energy security concerns about proposals to create an offshore ring main.

The project is designed to create a single offshore grid connection for the new windfarms planned for the North Sea off the Norfolk coast.

The advantage of the ring main, according to its backers – including several Norfolk MPs – is that it would avoid each windfarm having to provide its own cable corridors and onshore substations to connect to the National Grid.

Under the current system, each offshore windfarm is served by its own “point to point” connection to the grid.

Energy minister Kwasi Karteng is reported to have asked Ofgem to conduct a feasibility study of the ring main proposals following a meeting with Norfolk MPs this week.

However, Rebecca Williams, head of policy and regulation at RenewableUK, told a meeting of the House of Commons environmental audit committee that the trade body sees developing a more strategic approach to offshore connections as an “absolute priority”.

She added that the existing piecemeal regime is not fit for purpose and that the wind industry would like greater use of shared connections.

However, there are “challenges” with the specific ring main proposal and other solutions should be explored as well, Williams said: “We would be looking at 13GW through one connection, which would be a challenge from an energy security perspective.”

Speaking at the same meeting, Benji Sykes, co-chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council, said the industry recognises the “real sense of urgency” to find a solution.

He added that the industry requires a solution to the problem, given how much more rapidly offshore wind power has grown in the UK than it was envisaged when the existing connection regime was drawn up.

“We recognise that point to point regulation is past its sell by date.”

Sykes, who is also UK director for Danish energy company Orsted, said that adequate transmission infrastructure must be in place in order to allow existing wind turbines to be upgraded when the existing devices have become worn out, which will start to happen in the 2030s.

He said that while floating wind technology is still at a “relatively early stage”, it will become an increasingly important part of the UK’s energy mix and likely to eclipse seabed fixed devices from the 2030s onwards.

Floating devices could increase offshore wind deployment to 100GW, more than triple the 30GW by 2030 target in the industry’s sector deal with government, Sykes said: “Looking at net zero, we are going to have to go into deeper water and further off shore.”

He added that if the government is “serious” about capitalising on its commitment to floating wind, it must look at adjusting the auction payments for Contract for Different auctions in order to encourage the growth of the technology.