UK Wind Ambitions Face Daunting Challenges

The U.K. aims to produce 12,000 megawatts of energy from offshore wind farms by 2020, an 1,100 percent increase from the 1,000 megawatts now installed. However, to reach that goal the rate of construction must increase from one turbine installation every 11 days to 2.5 turbines every single day, according to Michael Rea, chief operating officer of Carbon Trust, a U.K. non-profit that promotes low-carbon technology.

In addition, the real construction cost of offshore wind farms has risen 20 percent in the past seven years, placing today’s wind farm production technology “at the edge of viability” according to Rob Hastings of the London-based Crown Estate, the federal agency that controls seabed exploitation of the U.K.’s continental shelf.

Mass production of wind farm foundations in facilities located close to the coast could offer significant cost savings. Gordon Jackson, a director at engineering firm Arup group in London, estimated the cost of a project could be reduced by as much as 30 percent.

In January, the firm teamed with contractors Hochtief A.G., of Essen, Germany, and the U.K.’s Costain Group to establish such a production facility. “We think there is the capacity and capability to produce 200 foundations a year,” Jackson said.

Hochtief and Beluga Shipping , a Bremen, Germany-based shipping company, are partnering to design and buy a $200-million installation vessel that will also help cut costs, according to the company.

The vessel will have a 1,500-metric-ton-capacity crane able to handle structures up to 120 meters tall in 50 meters of water. Hochtief will decide this fall whether to order a second vessel.