Scotland’s onshore wind sector is set for a “decade of development on a scale not seen before”, delegates at Scottish Renewables’ annual onshore wind conference have heard.
In her opening remarks to the conference, which is being held virtually, the industry body’s chief executive Claire Mack said: “Onshore wind is the backbone of Scotland’s electricity system.
“Renewables are providing 97.4% of Scotland’s electricity generation and onshore makes up a huge bulk of that.
“But the required speed of deployment of onshore wind means that the next decade will be a decade of development on a scale probably not seen before.”
Mack said it was “great news” that onshore wind had been re-admitted to the fourth auction round of the Contracts for Difference subsidy regime, and that this would “present a real benchmark to the industry to really push forward with lowering costs”.
Engagement with the new Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Net Zero, Michael Matheson, and strategies for highlighting the socioeconomic benefits of the onshore sector also look like being key themes of the conference.
But several speakers have highlighted the consenting process and supply chain constraints as potential barriers to the deployment of the necessary amount of onshore wind to meet Scotland’s net zero targets.