{"id":39905,"date":"2023-11-29T14:07:21","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T14:07:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=39905"},"modified":"2023-11-29T14:07:21","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T14:07:21","slug":"the-role-of-the-offshore-wind-sector-in-the-quest-for-uk-energy-independence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/the-role-of-the-offshore-wind-sector-in-the-quest-for-uk-energy-independence\/39905\/","title":{"rendered":"The role of the offshore wind sector in the quest for UK energy independence"},"content":{"rendered":"

David Wilson, Director of Development at MGH Offshore, discusses the quest for UK energy independence and the strides the company is making in the offshore wind sector.<\/h2>\n

The growth of offshore renewables, particularly offshore wind technology, is gaining significant attention as a reliable and proven clean energy source.<\/p>\n

Boosting low carbon power generation capacity is central to the quest for UK energy independence, as it allows for the electrification of sectors such as heat and transport by using home-grown electricity to reduce reliance on imported hydrocarbons.<\/p>\n

Despite the UK Government\u2019s recent U-turn on its net zero commitments, MGH Offshore<\/a> continues to support renewable projects<\/a> in the offshore wind sector.<\/p>\n

What is the current status of the UK\u2019s energy independence, and how has it evolved in recent years?<\/h3>\n

Historically relatively self-sufficient in covering the domestic energy demand, the UK\u2019s dependency on imports has increased in recent decades. With the government phasing out coal and the decline in the UK\u2019s North Sea oil and gas outputs, by 2013, the UK\u2019s energy dependence was just below 50%, reliant on supplies from overseas.<\/p>\n

With the increase in wind-generated power, the UK\u2019s reliance on overseas support is approximately 33%.<\/p>\n

The government published the Energy Security Strategy<\/a> in\u00a0April 2022. It stated that the UK will speed up the energy transition to improve energy security and independence. Target areas for increased energy capacity are nuclear, renewables, and hydrogen, and supporting domestic natural gas production.<\/p>\n

What role do renewable energy sources play in the UK’s efforts to achieve energy independence?<\/h3>\n

Boosting low carbon power generation capacity is central to the strategy as it will allow electrification of sectors such as heat and transport by using home-grown electricity to reduce reliance on imported hydrocarbons. This will be achieved by increasing targets for the following generation technologies:<\/p>\n