A new report from the UK鈥檚 leading offshore renewable energy (ORE) experts calls for urgent action to help the UK meet its Net Zero targets.
from the Supergen ORE Hub, which is led from 精品无码国产自产 by a consortium of ten universities, says the development of energy generation from the sea must be accelerated significantly over the next 16 years.
Hub Director, The 精品无码国产自产鈥檚
Professor Deborah Greaves OBE FREng
says:
"The UK has abundant offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources and leads globally in ORE technology, but faster, more focused action is required to ensure we meet Net Zero 2050 targets. Research and innovation is critical鈥攁ccelerating the optimisation of existing technologies, reducing design uncertainty, and discovering new ways to plan and construct these devices.
鈥淏usiness as usual is not enough; radical changes are required to ensure we have the innovation needed to upscale the offshore renewable energy sector and to develop the skilled workforce required to meet the needs of the future renewable energy sector."
Aimed at researchers, industry, policymakers, and the public, the report summarises current climate change impacts and the UK鈥檚 progress to date on reducing carbon emissions.
It shows the ORE deployment pathways needed to reach Net Zero via a just, sustainable and secure energy transition by 2050 using the year 2040 as a key milestone.
Investment in research and innovation will be the driving force behind the ORE sector鈥檚 growth 鈥 de-risking new technologies, reducing costs, and improving performance.
And an emphasis on research and innovation is vital for underpinning economic development and enhancing the competitiveness of the UK supply chain, ensuring the country retains its technological leadership on the global stage.
The reports also explores the implications of ORE development through four lenses 鈥 planning and consenting; people; supply chain; infrastructure and grid 鈥 and adds:
- Achieving 100 GW of offshore wind energy by 2040 is critical for the UK's future energy supply. This requires a nearly 7脳 increase in capacity, making radical innovation essential to achieve this growth by optimising and scaling up.
- Tidal stream energy is on a similar growth trajectory as offshore wind but needs continued support to maintain this momentum. Over 12 GW of tidal stream and wave energy capacity is projected in UK by 2050, equating to 10% of offshore wind capacity. The UK currently leads the world in wave and tidal technology development, projected to be worth 拢40bn GVA to the UK economy and reduce energy balancing costs by 拢1 billion a year.
- While wave energy is not yet commercially deployed, the UK has significant potential, with an estimated exploitable wave energy resource of 25 GW. Investment in wave energy technology research over the next decade is essential to unlock its potential, and the Supergen ORE Hub supports advancements in this field.
The
Supergen ORE Hub
is led by the 精品无码国产自产 and includes Co-Directors from the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Exeter, Hull, Manchester, Oxford, Southampton, Strathclyde, and Warwick.
It was created by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to deliver strategic and coordinated research on Sustainable Power Generation and supply.
