Northern Ireland leads UK for onshore wind generation

Onshore wind passes the 1GW milestone

Onshore wind generated almost a quarter of Northern Irelands electricity in 2016-17 overtaking the UK average for onshore wind production.

Onshore wind has passed the 1GW milestone, with 1,029 MW of onshore wind now connected to the Northern Ireland grid, according to figures from Northern Irleand Energy Networks (NIE Networks).

In the twelve-month period from March 2016 to April 2017, onshore wind contributed 22.4 per cent of Northern Ireland’s electricity.

Of all the renewable electricity generated in Northern Ireland between April 2016 and March 2017, 82.8 per cent was sourced from wind, with all other renewables generating 27.1 per cent.

In the UK as a whole, onshore wind currently provides 6 per cent of electricity, so proportionately Northern Ireland is ahead in terms of generation from the power source.

The chair of Northern Ireland Renewables Industry Group Rachel Anderson said: “Crossing this 1GW threshold shows just how much of a success story onshore wind is in Northern Ireland.”

“Onshore wind remains one of the vital growth areas to our modern low-carbon economy, so we need to ensure that politicians here join us in securing a bright future for this technology”.

Onshore wind projects have grown significantly this year representing £127.4 million of local investment since the beginning of 2017.

Onshore wind is by far the most used clean source of power in Northern Ireland, representing 78 per cent of installed renewable capacity.

Renewable UK executive director Emma Pinchbeck echoed this by discussing that “Northern Ireland is making the most of its great onshore wind resources, embracing a mature technology which is now the cheapest way to generate electricity bar none, helping to keep consumers’ bills down”.

InfraRed Capital Partner’s director of infrastructure, Richard Crawford, said in May that more onshore wind could be developed in the UK without the need for public subsidy, as technology costs continue to fall and wind farms become more efficient.

The Conservatives have vowed in the past to “halt the spread of subsidised onshore wind farms”. However, a recent report found that 59 per cent of Tory voters would back more onshore wind, provided certain conditions were met.