Radical change is needed to support renewable energy development, new report says

The latest report from the UK’s leading offshore renewable energy (ORE) experts calls for urgent action to help the UK meet its Net Zero targets.

ORE Outlook 2040 from the Supergen ORE Hub, which is led from Plymouth by a consortium of ten universities including the University of Oxford, says the development of energy generation from the sea must be accelerated significantly over the next 16 years.

The Supergen ORE Hub is led by the University of Plymouth and includes Co-Directors from the Universities of Oxford, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Exeter, Hull, Manchester, Southampton, Strathclyde, and Warwick. Professor Byron Byrne, Professor of Engineering Science and Ørsted / Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Advanced Geotechnical Design at the University of Oxford, is Co-Director of the Supergen ORE Hub, which was created by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to deliver strategic and coordinated research on Sustainable Power Generation and supply.

Hub Director, Professor Deborah Greaves OBE (University of Plymouth) says, "The UK has abundant offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources and leads globally in ORE technology, but faster, more focused action is required to ensure we meet Net Zero 2050 targets. Research and innovation is critical—accelerating the optimisation of existing technologies, reducing design uncertainty, and discovering new ways to plan and construct these devices." 

Aimed at researchers, industry, policymakers, and the public, the report summarises current climate change impacts and the UK’s progress to date on reducing carbon emissions. It shows the ORE deployment pathways needed to reach Net Zero via a just, sustainable and secure energy transition by 2050 using the year 2040 as a key milestone.

“Business as usual is not enough; radical changes are required to ensure we have the innovation needed to upscale the offshore renewable energy sector and to develop the skilled workforce required to meet the needs of the future renewable energy sector."

Investment in research and innovation will be the driving force behind the ORE sector’s growth – de-risking new technologies, reducing costs, and improving performance. And an emphasis on research and innovation is vital for underpinning economic development and enhancing the competitiveness of the UK supply chain, ensuring the country retains its technological leadership on the global stage.

The reports also explores the implications of ORE development through four lenses – planning and consenting; people; supply chain; infrastructure and grid – and adds:

• Achieving 100 GW of offshore wind energy by 2040 is critical for the UK's future energy supply. This requires a nearly 7× increase in capacity, making radical innovation essential to achieve this growth by optimising and scaling up.
• Tidal stream energy is on a similar growth trajectory as offshore wind but needs continued support to maintain this momentum. Over 12 GW of tidal stream and wave energy capacity is projected in UK by 2050, equating to 10% of offshore wind capacity. The UK currently leads the world in wave and tidal technology development, projected to be worth £40bn GVA to the UK economy and reduce energy balancing costs by £1 billion a year.
• While wave energy is not yet commercially deployed, the UK has significant potential, with an estimated exploitable wave energy resource of 25 GW. Investment in wave energy technology research over the next decade is essential to unlock its potential, and the Supergen ORE Hub supports advancements in this field.