According to a recent analysis by RenewableUK (RUK), the total number of onshore wind projects in the UK’s pipeline has grown by more than 4GW over the last 12 months, from 33GW in October 2021 to 37GW today. The pipeline comprises initiatives that are already underway, being built, have received approval, or are in the planning stages.
According to the Onshore Wind EnergyPulse report, the amount of capacity being built or approved in the UK has climbed by 1.1GW to 6.8GW, even though only 0.34GW of it has become fully functional in the last 12 months.
Scotland is where the great bulk of projects are located, making up 78% of the pipeline. According to RUK, the UK could have 29.8 GW of operational onshore wind power by the end of 2030 and 34 GW by the end of 2031 if all projects now in the pipeline are completed.
Dan McGrail, the chief executive of RUK, said that without onshore wind, which is one of our most affordable sources of new energy and which can be operational within a year of receiving approval, they won’t be able to solve the world’s energy dilemma. Ministers have yet to set an onshore wind objective for the UK and have only hesitantly begun a discussion on lifting the ban on onshore wind in England, despite the federal government publishing its Energy Security Strategy in April.
They require a commitment of at least 30GW of onshore wind by 2030 and the opportunity for local communities across the UK to profit from generating in their region if it has local support.