A landmark moment in UK wind energy was reached this week, when offshore developer Ørsted unveiled the finished construction of its 1,000th turbine in UK waters.
This is according to reports which revealed that the turbine itself is a part of the firm’s existing ‘Hornsea Two’ project off the East Yorkshire coast. What’s more, this particular installation was number 16 of what will be 165 Siemens Gamesa turbines at this development – once completed, this will become the world’s leading wind farm.
Ørsted has been creating wind farms around the UK since 2004 and its installations account for nearly half of all the projects around the country.
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A big step towards ‘a cleaner energy system’
The milestone is a positive move forward for Britain’s production of renewables, and with the promise of more developments to come, there’s the potential for further benefits with everything from more green jobs to lower energy bills.
Duncan Clark, Ørsted's regional head, praised the success of the project: “This is a significant milestone for the company, the industry and the UK’s journey to a cleaner energy system.
"The UK is the world leader in offshore wind, with the largest installed capacity and projects like Hornsea Two are helping the country to make significant strides towards the government’s legally binding net zero targets.
"The transformation we have seen since our first offshore wind installations is nothing short of incredible - with turbines more than doubling in size and the cost of electricity generated dropping by more than half. When Hornsea Two is completed in 2022, our UK fleet of offshore wind farms will be capable of generating enough clean electricity to power more than 5.5 million homes.”
The Business & Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng also echoed these sentiments when speaking about the project: "With the largest installed capacity in the world, the UK is a true world-leader in offshore wind.
"Ørsted’s significant milestone not only supports our climate commitments but demonstrates how far the UK has come in offshore wind in just 15 years, providing cheap, green energy to tens of thousands of homes and supporting good-quality jobs."
More choice for consumers in the long run
Another benefit is that the increased production of wind energy could soon lead to more choice for consumers when it comes to our energy tariffs. In addition, having surplus amounts of renewables from this increased production may also see wholesale green energy prices drop, making our bills cheaper.
There are of course many green energy deals on offer to us right now, in fact many of the country’s best energy suppliers have tariffs that feature 100% renewable electricity, or at least a greener fuel mix.
If you’d like to see what’s available, you should run an online energy comparison and switch provider. All you need are a few personal details and you’ll be able to see what the best energy deals are that come with renewables near you.
