Expanding the UK’s onshore wind supply chain could add up to £56bn in economic value by 2050, according to a report commissioned by RenewableUK.
Consultants Everoze said in the Onshore Wind Supply Chain Capability Assessment that the total contribution could reach £154bn when combined with the £98bn expected from the current supply chain under supportive government policy.
The report said key value areas include manufacturing turbine blades, towers, steelwork, nacelles, drivetrains and electrical equipment for substations.
It added that around 70% of lifecycle spend for UK onshore wind projects already takes place domestically.
The report noted that UK onshore wind capacity could grow from 16GW to over 50GW by 2050 under an ambitious deployment scenario.
“Onshore wind is an engine for significant economic growth in the UK. This report highlights the strong pipeline of onshore wind projects coming online between now and 2050, with capacity expected to increase more than threefold,” said James Robottom, head of onshore wind delivery at RenewableUK.
“We already have supply chain companies across the country delivering high levels of spend in the UK from our onshore wind farms, but more can be done to grow this sector and create thousands of new jobs by investing in new factories to manufacture more components for projects here and abroad.”
“This report shows how onshore wind can deliver billions to the economy and create good jobs,” said Michael Shanks, minister for energy at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
“For too long, onshore wind has been stuck on the sidelines of Britain’s clean energy transition. That’s why we acted – lifting the ban in 72 hours and approving the biggest onshore wind project in England in over a decade.”
“The value of onshore wind to the UK economy is undeniable, and this report underlines the critical importance of our domestic supply chain as a creator of high-skilled jobs and driver of economic growth,” said Matthieu Hue, chief executive officer at EDF power solutions UK and Ireland.
“These opportunities will have immediate and long lasting benefits, with projections indicating that our current operating fleet across the UK could potentially triple by 2050.”