The Prime Minister has set out new plans to Build Back Greener by making the UK the world leader in clean wind energy – creating jobs, reducing carbon emissions and boosting exports.
The announcement is part of the government's commitment towards net zero emissions by 2050 and will support 60,000 jobs.
£160 million will be made available to upgrade ports and infrastructure across communities like in Teesside and Humber to increase our offshore wind capacity, which is already the largest in the world and currently meets 10% of national electricity demand.
This investment will create about 2,000 new construction jobs, and will ultimately support up to 60,000 jobs directly and indirectly by 2030 in ports, factories and the supply chains, manufacturing the next-generation of offshore wind turbines and delivering clean energy to the whole of the UK.
Welcoming the ambitious target, James said -
"The UK is already leading in offshore wind and this new target is an important part of our plans to deliver net zero by 2050 and harness environmentally-friendly sources of energy.
East Anglia is playing a major role in the success of offshore wind and it is well-placed to benefit from increased innovation and jobs."
Big business as well as smaller suppliers will be well-placed to win orders, and additional investment from energy companies around the world will increase local our competitive standing on the global stage, as well as supporting low-carbon supply chains.
As the UK accelerates progress towards net zero emissions by 2050 the Prime Minister has also set out new commitments to ensure that the UK will be at the forefront of the green industrial revolution including:
- Confirming offshore wind will produce more than enough electricity to power every home in the country by 2030, based on current electricity usage, boosting the government’s previous 30GW target to 40GW.
- Creating a new target for floating offshore wind to deliver 1GW of energy by 2030, which is over 15 times the current volumes worldwide. Building on the strengths of our North Sea, this brand new technology allows wind farms to be built further out to sea in deeper waters, boosting capacity even further where winds are strongest and ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of the next generation of clean energy.
- Setting a target to support up to double the capacity of renewable energy in the next Contracts for Difference auction, which will open in late 2021 - providing enough clean, low cost energy to power up to 10 million homes
These commitments are the first stage in the Prime Minister’s ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution, which will be set out fully later this year. This is expected to include ambitious targets, innovation and infrastructure investment that will accelerate the UK’s path to net zero by 2050.
