Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) Urges Government and Industry Collaboration to Overcome Perceptions of Offshore Wind Energy 'in Crisis' - Seite 2

However, most countries are not on track to install sufficient offshore wind
capacity by 2030 to align with a net-zero emission trajectory.

"The energy system of the future will depend on clean, secure and
cost-competitive electricity and this report shows the critical role offshore
wind has to play. But to fully realise the technology's potential, policymakers,
system operators, regulators and the industry need to re-focus on scaling up the
sector's capacity. Those that move fastest will unlock significant and lasting
economic benefits." - Alistair Phillips-Davies, CEO, SSE

Government and industry collaboration can relaunch confidence and drive costs
down

Governments and industry must closely collaborate to relaunch confidence in
offshore wind markets and bring down costs. To be on track to install the
capacity required for the transition to clean electricity, the ETC recommends
governments should:

1. Set ambitious targets and predefined auction schedules, which ensure
large-scale volumes are committed and delivered year by year.
2. Design auctions and government-backed contracts to reduce the risks of
non-delivery. Changes should include inflation-indexation to reduce developer
risks and greater penalties for withdrawing from contracts to reduce
contracts being treated as options. Governments must accept paying somewhat
higher prices to remove this optionality.
3. Streamline planning, permitting and grid connection processes while also
reinforcing the grid to reduce waiting times for offshore wind to connect.
4. Ensure that wind turbine and component production can achieve economies of
scale-based cost reductions by encouraging harmonisation of turbine
components and sizes.
5. Address specific supply chain bottlenecks through, for example, guarantees
and subsidies for new installation vessels to carry larger turbines; and
balancing the desire to encourage local supply chain content with the need to
achieve high production volumes on a multi-country/regional level.

"This briefing from ETC reinforces the reality that, despite blips in the UK and
US last year, the offshore wind industry is on a fundamental global growth
trajectory. As the briefing notes, offshore wind has seen huge cost reductions
and is cost competitive with gas power. It's no wonder that governments in every
continent are recognising the increasing role that offshore wind plays in
keeping the lights on, and providing large scale, cost competitive energy."

- Rebecca Williams, Chief Strategy Officer - Offshore Wind, GWEC

"Offshore wind power is a key technology in the energy transition. Around the
world we see governments and policymakers keen to add offshore capacity to help