The UK government has announced expansion plans for offshore wind firms. This announcement is a part of the country’s compliance with EU norms to meet 20% of its energy requirement through renewable resources.

According to John Hutton, Business Secretary in Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the UK government has announced a number of plans to increase offshore wind farms that generate electricity for UK households. The UK needs to install around 7,000 windmills in order to meet the European Union target, which says 20% of total energy requirements of the country should be met by renewable resources by 2020, as reported by Inthenews .

Britain is the second country after Denmark which produces substantial amount of energy through offshore wind segment and London Array and Thanet are the two major projects that reflect the progress made in this sector. Offshore wind turbines are highly beneficial as compared to onshore ones - for instance, offshore wind turbines can be made bigger and there’s a lot more wind at sea sites as compared to land.

The main reason for such expansion plans is to make Britain world leader in wind energy. Moreover, it would create jobs for young generation and boost the economic growth of the country. It would also make Britain the leading country to fight the menace of climate change.

Windmills on land are visually more intrusive while offshore windmills are less intrusive and therefore, companies are giving importance to offshore projects. People at unspoilt Lake District complain that they are disturbed from windmills. To avoid such disputes, companies are increasingly giving preference to offshore projects. Moreover, if there are no disputes about planning, then the projects complete quickly, showing less cost for the industry.

Industry experts think that Britain should concentrate on clean fuel resources in order to improve its self-sufficiency. This shows that Britain need to concentrate on nuclear projects, developing technology to capture carbon technology and exploit wind and tide energy resources.

According to a Research Analyst at RNCOS , “The wind energy is far more better than other energy resources, including conventional energy resources. The government initiative will help in tackling the environment-related problems in the country. Rising automobiles and growing industrialization are two major resources that have threatened the environment worldwide. And the UK’s efforts will encourage other countries to fight against the rising pollution.”