The UK’s offshore wind sector is at a crossroads.
A new RenewableUK report warns that without clearer policies, the country could lose 5GW of offshore wind by 2035—enough to power nearly four million homes.
The report, Developing effective end-of-life policy frameworks for UK offshore wind, outlines key recommendations to extend the operational lifespan of existing wind farms and improve decommissioning strategies.
It calls on the Government to clarify policies on lifetime extensions, streamline repowering processes and update decommissioning guidance to reflect the complexity of removing or upgrading offshore infrastructure.
Nick Hibberd, RenewableUK’s Policy Manager, stressed the urgency of action: “We have a great opportunity to strengthen the UK’s energy security by leveraging existing offshore wind infrastructure—either by extending the lifespan of existing projects or by repowering sites with modern state-of-the-art models. Instead of losing offshore wind capacity, we could potentially increase it.”
Co-author Friederike Andres echoed the need for Government leadership: “Policy attention is rightly focussing on building new offshore wind farms. However, with originally anticipated average lifespans of twenty to twenty-five years, the UK’s earliest offshore wind farms are currently entering their final lifespan stage.”
With offshore wind the backbone of the UK’s clean energy future, the report urges policymakers to act fast. The full report is available [here].
