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Subsidy for large onshore wind projects in Northern Ireland will end on 1 April 2016, the minister for enterprise, trade and investment has confirmed.
Minister Jonathan Bell announced plans to close the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation (NIRO) to new onshore wind in September last year but faced criticism from farmers who had invested in single turbine applications on the basis that there would be no changes to subsidies until 2017.
Bell will now take a dual approach and allow the subsidy system for single turbine projects to remain until further consultation.
Bell said: “I have always wanted to bring closure to the NIRO in a manner that delivers the maximum amount of megawatts that can be achieved at the least cost to consumers.
“I now have clarity from the [Department of Energy and Climate Change] Decc on its policy towards NIRO closure at a UK level. I have listened to the issues raised by both large and small scale developers and with this in mind, I am moving now to effect closure of the NIRO to large scale onshore wind from 1 April 2016 with exceptions in the form of grace periods for eligible projects. I hope to bring legislation to the Assembly shortly.”
Bell expects to consult further on closure arrangements for small scale onshore wind whilst a draft Renewables Obligation Closure Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 for large projects will be laid before the Assembly for approval.
The Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation works in conjunction with the Renewables Obligation (RO) for England and Wales and the RO Scotland, but the policy and legislation is devolved to Northern Ireland.
From 1 April 2016 Decc will close the RO to onshore wind in the UK and Scotland.
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