UK continues to be the Saudia Arabia of wind energy with the announcement of further expansion, including floating windfarms far out to sea.
There was more positive news for renewables recently, with the announcement that Wales is to get its first floating windfarm.
The Crown Estate, which manages the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has granted two new leases for windfarms in Welsh waters, including one that will float on the sea.
Floating windfarms could play an important role in meeting global energy demand through renewables because they can be installed in deep water where seabed foundations are prohibitively expensive to build. Plus, of course, being further out to sea they will be invisible (or, at least, very difficult to spot) to those wishing to enjoy an uninterrupted view from the coastline.
The Crown Estate also granted rights for a 10,600-hectare extension to the Gwynt y Môr offshore windfarm in north Wales, which is already the fifth largest offshore windfarm in the world.
The UK is the world's largest producer of wind energy and is often described as still leads the the “Saudi Arabia of wind energy.” However, China is expected to overtake the UK shortly as it drives to conquer the global renewable energy market. China is currently constructing more offshore wind capacity than the rest of the world combined.