According to renewable energy analysts Aurora, in order to fulfil the goal, 260 wind turbines will have to be installed a year, roughly one for every working day. The UK’s offshore wind capacity currently stands at 10 gigawatts, having been a mere one gigawatt at the beginning of the last decade. Currently only 10 gigawatts of new wind power facilities have been contracted, meaning 20 gigawatts worth must still be contracted. Under the contract for difference scheme, increasing capacity to 40 gigawatts will cost an additional £2.6 billion a year on top up payments, five times what the current budget allows. Martin Anderson, head of renewables at Aurora and co-author of the report, commented: “Our analysis suggests that meeting the 40 gigawatt target will require a huge increase in the deployment rate of offshore wind turbines, alongside significant capital investment, and planning consents to be approved in record time. […]