Wind Power: Seas and Oceans
Question
Emma Lewell
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the security of domestic energy supplied from offshore wind farms in the UK’s (a) territorial waters and (b) Exclusive Economic Zone in the next five years.
Answer
The Ministry of Defence constantly monitors activity within UK waters and its Economic Exclusion Zone to counter and deter detected threats, including to our subsea and offshore energy infrastructure. British warships frequently patrol throughout the UK Economic Exclusion Zone and are routed through the North Sea where possible, to further increase surveillance of offshore oil and gas installations.
I have not met with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on these topics but Defence officials at all levels are working closely with their counterparts across Government to support the development of the UK energy security policy and its implementation. This collaboration ranges from innovation to unlock the development of the offshore wind capacity to Defence’s developing its own internal response to energy resilience.