Collaboration will cut cost of renewable energy

By DOMINIC JEFF
Published on 08/10/2012 00:00

Closer collaboration between renewable energy firms and better dialogue with government will help bring down the cost of offshore wind power and make the UK industry competitive, a conference in Edinburgh will be told this week.

Andrew Jamieson, chairman of the UK government’s Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Task Force, said there has been a big increase in collaboration between firms and he expects the industry will reduce the cost of generating electricity from offshore renewables by more than 30 per cent by 2020, to £100 per megawatt hour.

The former ScottishPower Renewables policy and innovation director, who recently left the firm to become chief executive of the offshore renewable energy “catapult centre” at Glasgow’s Strathclyde University, will be speaking at the Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference on Wednesday in Edinburgh.

Jamieson said the UK renewables industry enjoys a “unique” relationship with government, and the Offshore Wind Programme Board, to be established later this year, will improve communication further.

He said: “I have been pleasantly surprised by the attitude of people within industry and UK government to make change – but it will need continued strong leadership on both sides.”

The conference is on Wednesday and Thursday, at the EICC.