UK Government tells MPs that it is committed to “placing the UK at the forefront” of floating offshore wind

• Read the Government Response
• Inquiry: Floating Offshore Wind in Wales

In the British Energy Security Strategy, the  UK Government outlined its ambition to deploy up to 5GW of FLOW by 2030. The Committee recommended that further targets be developed beyond 2030 to offer greater certainty to the sector. However, the UK Government rejected this recommendation, stating that the benefit of targets “must be balanced against a need to observe how emerging technologies develop over time”.

The Committee argued that the potential for wealth and job creation in Wales from FLOW is too great to be missed. As such, the Report stressed the opportunity for local supply chains, and called for ‘local content’ requirements to be included in the Contracts for Difference scheme. The Committee also recommended that Welsh ports receive at least half of the funding from the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme (FLOWMIS) due to the unique opportunity for the Celtic Sea to host FLOW. The UK Government rejected these recommendations on the basis of WTO rules and the competitive bidding process for FLOWMIS allocation.

The Committee has previously considered grid capacity and has argued that network constraints could impede the delivery of renewable energy projects. FLOW in the Celtic Sea is no exception, and in the UK Government’s response it outlined steps to accelerate delivery of electricity network infrastructure, with an action plan to be published later this year.

Welsh Affairs Committee Chair, Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP, said:

“Floating offshore wind is an enormous opportunity in the Celtic Sea, and one that must be championed at the earliest point so we can have first mover advantage. The UK Government’s response to our report is a reassuring commitment to FLOW more widely across the UK. We have heard that other countries find ways to ensure local content for supply chains and urge the UK Government to do the same. Wales must benefit proportionately from FLOWMIS funding.”

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Image: UK Parliament/Tyler Allicock