The British Prime Minister has announced a £160m investment to upgrade offshore wind energy infrastructure in Northern England, Scotland, and Wales.
The funding will be made available to upgrade ports and the UK’s offshore wind energy infrastructure. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Our seas hold immense potential to power our homes and communities with low-cost green energy and we are already leading the way in harnessing its strengths.
“Now, as we build back better, we must build back greener. So, we are committing to new ambitious targets and investment into wind power to accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050.”
This new investment will create approximately 2,000 construction jobs and will enable the sector to support up to 60,000 jobs in ports, factories, and the supply chains, manufacturing the next-generation of offshore wind turbines and delivering clean energy to the UK.
Johnson continued: “This sets us on our path towards a green industrial revolution, which will provide tens of thousands of highly-skilled jobs. Together with planned stringent requirements on supporting UK manufacturers in government-backed renewables projects, these measures will mean the industry can reach its target of 60% of offshore wind farm content coming from the UK.”
The Prime Minister has also set out further commitments to ensure that, within the decade, the UK will be at the forefront of the green industrial revolution as we accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050.
Hugh McNeal, CEO of RenewableUK, said: “The government has raised the ambition for offshore wind and renewables, and our industry is ready to meet the challenge. A green recovery with renewables at its heart will be good for consumers and jobs, as well as helping to meet our 2050 net zero emissions target. Support for new floating wind projects will ensure the UK stays at the forefront of global innovation in renewables and provides new opportunities in the low-carbon transition.”
