Renewable energy from wind ''will play a central role in UK''s future''

Posted by Robert Shields

Britain''s offshore wind industry is poised to play a ''central role'' in providing its future renewable energy, but challenges still remain for the sector, a trade group has said.

Speaking at the opening of the RenewableUK Offshore Wind 2010 event in Liverpool, Maria McCaffery, chief executive of the organisation, said that offshore wind power is set to have a key position in Britain''s energy future.

She said: ''Delivering on this extraordinary potential is definitely not going to be easy. It will require leadership, skill and determination and not just from [the companies involved] but also from government.''

Ms McCaffery added that the industry faces a time of ''unique opportunity'', but also ''extreme uncertainty'' because of the government''s delay in formulating a policy framework for the renewable energy sector.

She explained that, while power generation has been transformed ''beyond all recognition'' in the past decade, government action is needed in order to build confidence in the long-term commitment to offshore wind.

GE Energy announced this week that it plans to install up to five offshore demonstration wind turbines on the Swedish and Norwegian coastlines.