01 Apr 2011 10:04:21
UK to hold 10% of global offshore wind market
By 2050 the UK will hold a ten percent share of the global offshore wind market, according to analysis by the Carbon Trust.
The research suggests the industry is to grow by ten percent each year over the next four decades and will be worth £170 billion by 2050.
In the UK alone, offshore wind could offer a cumulative contribution of £100 billion to gross domestic product between 2010 and 2050, creating up to 230,000 jobs.
Earlier this year, the government approved plans for the Humber Gateway offshore wind farm, which will generate enough energy to power 150,000 homes.
The world's largest offshore wind farm, Thanet, was also opened off the coast of the UK last year, with a generation capacity of 300 MW.
Benj Sykes, director of innovations at the Carbon Trust, said: "The economic prize for the UK economy is vast and we have to grab it now. We are in an excellent position to be a global market leader."
The analysis is based on predicted global deployment levels of up to 1150GW by 2050.
