Wind farm construction to soar after planning U-turn

Wind farm construction is due for a major expansion with the new Labour government over-turning a ban on approving planning applications imposed by the previous regime.

The move is part of the government’s plans to double onshore wind capacity from 15 Gigawatts to 30 Gigawatts by 2030. Glenigan’s construction industry research has identified 291 onshore wind farm projects in the early stages of development and where the clients hope to start construction in the next 12 months.

The decision to overturn the ban in England was one of the new Labour government’s first actions and will speed up many of these schemes. In particular, major schemes are already in the planning system, such as Cold Northcott Wind Farm in Launceston, Cornwall, where First WindFarm Holdings is proposing to build a farm comprising 22 onshore turbines (Project ID: 21209560).

With the planning embargo blocking schemes in England, much of the existing programme of proposed schemes in the pipeline is in other devolved nations of the UK, notably Scotland.

Statkraft, for example, is proposing the development of 14 wind turbines and a battery storage system at Thurso in the Scottish Highlands (Project ID: 24182414). A scoping request has been submitted to the local planning department for the £90 million Achrugan Wind Farm and Glenigan’s research suggests work could commence early next year.

Scotland is also where there are the largest number of schemes with approval and due to start in the next year.

This expansion is expected to increase a rise in onshore wind farm jobs in Scotland from 6,900 full-time employees in 2024 to 20,500 at the peak of construction in 2027 according to a report from ClimateXChange.

Glenigan’s research has identified 49 approved onshore wind projects due to start on site over the next 12 months and 27 are in Scotland, such as the £168 million Tomcharsky Wind Farm at Inverness in the Highlands (Project ID: 22468797). This will provide 14 wind turbines with work expected to begin on site in March 2025.

Other major onshore wind farm schemes in Scotland include the Clashindarroch II Windfarm, which will also include 14 turbines and is being developed by Vattenfall (Project ID: 20068099). Planning permission for this scheme was initially denied, but then overturned after an appeal was supported by Scottish ministers. Glenigan’s market analysis suggests work will begin early this Autumn.

There is also a major programme of onshore wind farm projects in Northern Ireland. Glenigan’s construction research has found 73 projects without planning but due to start in the next year.

Dooish Wind Farm is planning to build seven onshore turbines as part of the Curraghamulkin Wind Farm in Omagh (Project ID: 23164606). Plans to build 10 turbines were approved in 2017 but Dooish Wind Farm has now gone back with revised plans for a smaller development of seven more efficient turbines.

There are also 11 onshore wind projects in Northern Ireland already with planning permission, such as HHT Renewables’ plan for a 40-m high turbine at Strabane, which secured planning permission in April (Project ID: 15206778)

With planning shackles freed in England, the host of onshore wind farm proposals identified by Glenigan should be unblocked and move faster to a start on site.