The amount of new onshore wind capacity built last year in the UK fell to 629MW, lower compared with 2018, according to RenewableUK, with the trade body blaming lack of government policy support for the poor figures.
In 2019, 629MW was installed in the UK, comprising 23 projects becoming operational, RenewableUK stated, of which four were in England, four in Wales, six in Northern Ireland and nine in Scotland.
This continues the trend seen in 2018, when 651MW (91 projects) was installed.
Government advisor the Committee on Climate Change advised last year that under a low-cost energy strategy to reach net zero emissions, the UK’s onshore wind capacity could increase from 13GW to 35GW by 2035.
RenewableUK policy and regulation head Rebecca Williams said: “These figures highlight that the current approach is falling short on delivering renewable energy capacity at the level needed for net zero. This is a flashing red warning light on our net zero dashboard and we urgently need a new strategy from Government.”
The “huge drop” in new capacity in 2018 followed the record high of 2683MW installed in 2017, when 343 projects started generating as developers raced to beat the main deadline to qualify for government support.
According to the trade group, 22 of the 23 projects that began generating last year had qualified for financial support under the Renewable Obligation, feed-in tariff or Contracts for Difference schemes before they were closed to onshore wind developers.
These policies date from the coalition government and are now defunct, said RenewableUK.
The trade body stated: “The government’s current policy for onshore wind led to just four new turbines, the 8.2MW Withernwick II wind farm in East Yorkshire, being built last year.
“Just 2 onshore wind projects – 3 turbines totalling 1.9MW – received planning approval in England in 2019 and just one new project was submitted into the English planning system, with a capacity of 5MW. No projects were approved or submitted in Wales last year.”
In Scotland however, where the Scottish government supports developing new onshore wind to meet its climate targets, RenewableUK noted a “healthy pipeline of new projects”, with 556MW (26 projects) consented last year, and 1969MW (35 projects) submitted into the planning system.
In Northern Ireland 25MW (25 projects) was approved and 127MW (52 projects) entered the planning system.
“Onshore wind is one of the cheapest low carbon technologies in the UK, quick to build, and it’s hugely popular as the Government’s own opinion polls show 78% of people support it. As Ministers get down to work at the start of a new decade, we need to see new policies which support the full range of clean power sources to transform our energy system”, Williams added.