Why turbines are coming back round
Hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz in 2026 have highlighted an urgent need for the UK to boost renewable energy generation and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Wind power is central to the UK’s renewable energy plans and is a significant part of Clean Power 2030 with an ambition of 35-50 GW of offshore wind and 27-29 GW of onshore wind. This will contribute to the collective effort towards net zero by 2050. So, what does this mean for UK wind and the industries that it will serve?
Floating wind
Offshore wind is a common sight around the UK coastline. The first turbines were fixed directly to the seabed but today, floating platforms can operate in deeper waters where wind speeds are consistently stronger.
Although the technology itself is not new, recent announcements from The Crown Estate show a new floating wind farm is planned for the Celtic Sea, which lies directly south of Ireland. It is the areas third and is significant as a large-scale deployment with a high potential reward. The three sites will collectively deliver up to 4.5 GW of capacity, making a major contribution to Clean Power 2030. Beyond energy generation, floating wind projects support UK industry and create high value jobs in engineering and advanced manufacturing practices.
Planning reform for onshore wind
What often stalls new onshore wind farms and grid infrastructure projects is the time it takes to move from proposal to deployment. Planning approvals, infrastructure requirements and legal challenges create lengthy timelines.
Changes to planning policy in 2015 saw stringent tests introduced alongside the removal of onshore wind generation from the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime. These changes resulted in the pipeline of projects dropping by 90%.
Onshore wind has now been reintroduced into the NSIP regime, putting onshore wind on the same footing as solar, offshore wind and nuclear power stations, providing a route to seek planning permission, and providing confidence for developers to bring projects forward.
In turn, onshore wind projects with a generating capacity of more than 100 megawatts are likely to achieve consent under the NSIP regime.
Wind power is an important contributor to meeting the targets set out by Clean Power 2030 and contributing to Net Zero 2050. The success however is not only about turbines but by how quickly projects can be delivered. Upgraded grid infrastructure, new scalable technology for floating wind platforms and changes to planning processes will all play a role in ensuring renewable energy can be delivered.
