19th December 2019 | Posted by: Daniel Birkett | Industry News

A new report explains how increased offshore wind integration can help the UK deliver its net zero carbon emission targets.

A new report, titled ‘UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) Energy Integration’ published by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) outlines how increased integration between offshore wind & offshore oil & gas production could help the UK meet its environmental targets.

Integration, achieved with technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) could be key in reducing emissions according to the report which discusses the first phase of the UKCS Energy Integration project - led by the OGA, working alongside the BEIS, The Crown Estate and Ofgem.

The project aims to create a new strategy to develop the UK Continental Shelf as an integrated energy basin. It proposes leveraging oil & gas infrastructure with CCS in order to support renewable energy production and other clean energy sources.

The UKCS is said to have significant potential in terms of wind generation and there is scope for significant growth in the CCS market, reducing emissions caused by fossil fuel production.

The hub would allow the generation of hydrogen at offshore wind farms which can then be stored in reservoirs and transported to shore using existing oil and gas infrastructure.

The report follows news of a major milestone last week as the UK hit an all-time record for wind generation. On Sunday the 8th of December, the UK broke the 16GW wind production threshold and provided over 40% of the nation’s energy needs.

The National Grid confirmed that onshore and offshore wind generated up to 16,162GW, a 43.7% share of the electricity mix, more than doubling that of nuclear power.

The previous record was 15.32GW and was set on the 8th February.