Energy

Wind energy supply chain ‘cannot cope’ with drive for lower prices as inflation ramps up input costs

Philip Cole, a senior renewable energy executive, warns developers are starting to walk away from projects due to focus on pricing

Faced with soaring costs, many offshore wind developers are facing up to the reality that their projects may now be economically unviable based on the state-backed contracts they originally signed up to. Picture: Getty

The focus of European governments seeking to incentivise the development of offshore wind has to move away from price or new projects will never be built, a senior renewable energy executive has warned.

Philip Cole, director of industrial affairs at Wind Europe, a trade association representing over 500 wind companies, said the supply chain “cannot cope” with the constant drive for lower prices at a time when inflation was driving up raw material costs.

“There's ...