Scottish government sets 20GW onshore wind 2030 goal

The Scottish Government has set a new goal to increase installed onshore wind capacity to 20 GW by 2030.

An increase on this scale would mean a more than doubling in Scotland’s deployed onshore wind capacity, which stands at 8.7GW out of a UK total of 14.6GW.

In its updated wind policy statement published on Wednesday (21 December), the Holyrood government said there is currently 11.3 GW of onshore wind in the pipeline in Scotland of which 5.5GW is in planning, 4.6 GW is awaiting construction and 1.2GW is being built.

The statement said it is “vital to send a strong signal and set a clear expectation on what we believe onshore wind capacity will contribute.”

Responding to the statement, Scottish Renewables senior policy manager Mark Richardson said: “The renewable energy industry welcomes the Scottish government’s support for onshore wind and the publication of its final Onshore Wind Policy Statement, which makes Scotland the best place in the UK to develop onshore wind projects.

“The policy statement sets out that Scotland’s electricity demand will at least double within the next two decades and that developing more onshore wind could create 17,000 jobs and £27.8 billion in GVA for the country’s economy.

“As highlighted in the Climate Change Committee’s Progress Report for 2022 this month, Scotland must accelerate its transition to net-zero. The Onshore Wind Policy Statement recognises that ‘business as usual’ will not achieve our net-zero obligations, and that transformational change is needed.

“Along with the revised National Planning Framework 4 planning reforms this publication provides a real opportunity for Scotland to strengthen its position as a global leader in renewable energy.”