Boris Johnson, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, has reportedly announced a new vision of powering homes in the UK by using offshore wind by 2030. The target is expected to be reached through an approximate investment of £50 billion and the installation of 1 turbine on every weekday over the next decade. The anticipated investment is likely to increase the offshore wind energy capacity of the UK and reach 40-GW by 2030. Over a period of 10 years, the UK’s offshore turbine capacity has surged from 1-GW to over 10-GW at the beginning of 2020. The new plan is in line with the aim of Britain to bounce back to normal from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and reach the net-zero target by the end of 2050, which will require a large sum of investment. The UK government is planning to attract the private sector to invest in the green agenda, through a major contract auction to be held next spring. The auction will also include the support for onshore solar and wind projects. Sources familiar with the matter have stated that the auction is likely to secure above £20 billion in investment as well as create 12,000 jobs, particularly in the construction sector. The government is facing pressure from the environmental activists to develop a program that shows effective measures being taken to reach the net-zero target, as Cop26 has been postponed by 1 year due to the pandemic. It has committed to form at least 60% of the offshore wind farm content. In addition, its investment of £160 million to upgrade the UK’s ports and manage mega-turbines will lead to the creation of supply chain hubs in the port communities. The only sizable green measure that has been taken so far is a £3 billion scheme for home insulation. According to Lady Brown of Cambridge, the Committee on Climate Change’s deputy chair, the net-zero target can be reached by making significant commitments to reduce emissions from the industry, buildings, land, & transport sectors. Source credit: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/06/powering-all-uk-homes-via-offshore-wind-by-2030-would-cost-50bn