Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently pledged that every house in the country would be powered by offshore wind within a decade. He also said the UK would become “the world leader in clean wind energy”. “Your kettle, your washing machine, your cooker, your heating, your plug-in electric vehicle – the whole lot of them will get their juice cleanly and without guilt from the breezes that blow around these islands”.
This sounds good, but as always things are not always that simple. As an article on the BBC website said “The PM is promising enough power all UK homes – but remember, homes only account for a third of electricity demand. The rest goes to offices and factories.” So it appears we will still be reliant on other forms of energy for the foreseeable future.
“Wind power is recognised as being the cheapest large-scale renewable energy source and has one of the lowest carbon footprints compared to other forms of electricity generation.”
“Analysts have suggested the Prime Minister’s wind farm plan could cost £50 billion and require a new turbine to be installed every weekday throughout the 2020s.”
Where does the UK get its energy from?
2018 figures
- Gas: 39.4%
- Renewables: 33.3%
- Nuclear: 19.5%
- Coal: 5%
- Oil and others: 2.8%
“You might be surprised to hear that almost 60% of the fuel used to generate the UK’s energy comes from abroad.”
“The UK imports coal from Russia, gas from Norway and uranium from Kazakhstan – this costs lots of money and it means we need other countries for our energy.”
Onshore versus Offshore Wind. Is there any difference?
I was curious why he mentioned only offshore wind and not onshore wind… Is there a difference? Is there a reason he’s focussed on offshore? I’ve struggled to find any data that states how much energy is produced in the UK using offshore compared to onshore wind, however I still want to understand what the pros and cons of each might be.
- Onshore wind blows from the sea towards the land.
- Offshore wind blows from the land towards the sea.
Pros and Cons of Onshore Wind
Pros
- Onshore wind is cheaper. The infrastructure is cheaper meaning the cost to the consumer is also cheaper.
- If companies producing onshore turbines are located where the wind farms are set up, it’s more economical. These companies will also boost the economies in the areas they are located.
- There will be fewer emissions as a result of transporting the wind structures in onshore farms. This is because most farms can be set up near the manufacturing companies.
- Onshore wind turbines have minimal maintenance costs.
Cons
- The speeds of onshore wind are unpredictable.
- For the wind turbines to function efficiently, they should face the direction of the wind. If the wind direction keeps changing, it will negatively affect the efficiency of the turbines.
- Some people claim they are a danger to birds, or that they’re a noise nuisance.
- They generate less energy. An average onshore wind turbine produces around 2.5 to 3 megawatts while an offshore one produces an average of 3.6 megawatts.
Pros and Cons of Offshore Wind
Pros
- Offshore wind turbines are more efficient. This is due to higher wind speeds and more consistency of wind direction. Therefore fewer turbines are needed to produce the same amount of energy as onshore wind farms.
- Offshore wind turbines don’t cause any disruption in human activities as they are miles away from the coast.
- The offshore wind farms can help to protect the marine life where they’re located as they restrict access to areas where they are set up.
Cons
- The turbines might be more efficient but how the electricity reaches the land and the public is expensive.
- Due to strong winds and waves, offshore turbines have to endure more wear and tear. The result of this are higher maintenance costs.
- It could take longer to fix problems and restore offshore turbines to function properly.
- The effects offshore wind farms have on marine life, as well as birds, are not comprehensively understood.
There are additional pros and cons to both onshore and offshore wind, but many are subjective, such as the potential lowering of local house prices if the turbines are nearby because they are deemed by some to be ugly.
Greenpeace 2015 – Discrimination against onshore wind?
“It’s no secret that the Conservatives oppose onshore wind developments – with a specific promise in their election manifesto to “halt the spread of onshore wind farms”.
The Tories face competition in rural areas from UKIP who said last year they would ban onshore wind. The move could have spooked the government into reacting even more strongly against the proposed projects, though most of the seats where Pickles has overruled decisions are relatively safe.”
Conclusion
It seems that the focus is on offshore wind rather than onshore due to a severe case of NIMBY in Tory strongholds. I’m not going to complain about the UK moving towards more renewable energy, but maybe I’ve just become very cynical because straight away I wonder who’s making money from this, or what news the PM was trying to bury that day.
I hope his pledge comes to fruition, and I hope there is more investment in other renewables to cover the energy needs of offices and factories as well. The UK has a long way to go before we could be considered world leaders in conservation, green energy, carbon emissions etc. But it’s a start I suppose, and at least it’s being talked about…
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Sources
Where Does UK Energy Come From?
Offshore wind to power every house in UK by 2030, Boris Johnson pledges
Boris Johnson: Wind farms could power every home by 2030
Onshore versus Offshore Wind
Queen ‘could make millions’ from Boris Johnson’s drive for offshore wind because Crown Estate manages British seabed and shores
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