UK's leading experts call for urgent action to decarbonise by 2050
A new report from the Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub, calls for rapid acceleration in energy generation from the sea to help the UK meet its Net Zero targets by 2050.
Led by Professor Deborah Greaves at the University of Plymouth, the Supergen ORE Hub includes co-directors from a consortium of ten universities. From The University of Manchester, serves as a Co-Director and is an Early Career Researcher (ECR) Co-Lead.
The report, aimed at researchers, industry, policymakers, and the public, summarises the current impacts of climate change and the UK鈥檚 progress in reducing carbon emissions. It outlines offshore renewable energy deployment pathways needed for a just, sustainable and secure energy transition, with 2040 identified as a key milestone towards the UK 2050 Net Zero goals.
Key findings from the report include:
- Achieving 100 GW of offshore wind energy by 2040 is critical, requiring a nearly seven times increase in capacity. Radical innovation is essential to optimise and scale up growth.
- Tidal stream energy has the potential to grow alongside offshore wind and could reach over 11 GW of capacity in UK waters. Rapid progress is required, to deliver the EU SET Plan target of 6 GW deployment of tidal stream by 2050.
- Wave energy has significant potential, with an estimated exploitable resource of 25 GW in the UK. Deployment of 12 GW of wave and tidal stream by 2050 could add 拢40 billion GVA to the UK economy and reduce energy balancing costs by 拢1 billion annually. Investment in innovation over the next decade is crucial to achieving this potential.
Professor Tim Stallard said: 鈥淭he ORE Outlook 2040 report highlights the high potential for Offshore Renewable Energy sources to contribute to the UK meeting its Net Zero goals. The growth required cannot be realised by upscaling current approaches alone and urgent action is needed to accelerate innovation and deployment.鈥�
The report also explores ORE development through lenses of planning and consenting, people, supply chain, and infrastructure and grid. Investment in research and innovation is highlighted as crucial to de-risking new technologies, reducing costs, improving performance and ensuring the UK retains its technological leadership on the global stage.
鈥淭his report highlights the critical role of research and innovation in driving the growth of offshore renewable energy. Supporting early career researchers and fostering collaboration across disciplines is key to achieving sustainable and equitable energy solutions for the future."
The Supergen ORE Hub, established by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), aims to deliver strategic and coordinated research on sustainable power generation and supply.