Wednesday 6 October 2021
The UK must triple its pace of wind installations to 112GW by 2035 to stay on track with net zero targets.
That’s the claim of a report from Wärtsilä, which says the needed installation is more than double the 40GW currently planned.
It stresses this is paramount if the nation is to hit its target of a 78% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035.
The UK must also increase its amount of flexible capacity such as battery energy storage to balance the variability of such high levels of renewable power.
Wärtsilä states that more than 6GW of new wind energy must be installed every year to ensure the 2035 target is met. On top of wind installations, 52GW of flexibility solutions will be required, including 18GW of battery energy storage and 34GW of thermal balancing power plants.
Tony Meski, Co-Author of the report, said: “Offshore wind can become the dominant energy source in the UK but it is essential to act quickly to increase the amount of wind power in the system.
“However, only when this is coupled with a combination of flexibility solutions, including battery energy storage and thermal balancing power plants, can the UK achieve 100% renewable energy in the fastest possible time.”