UK wind power portfolio reaches new milestone

A windswept hill on the outskirts of Stirling in Scotland will today (Friday) see a significant milestone of achievement for the UK wind industry, as Secretary of State Alistair Darling cuts the ribbon to signal the commissioning of the turbine which takes the UK over the two gigawatts of installed capacity landmark. The generation and export to the grid of electricity from the Braes of Doune wind farm places the UK firmly among the top global wind markets, now one of only seven countries in the world to have surpassed this level of wind power. Two gigawatts, or 2,000 megawatts, of wind power in the UK will generate sufficient electricity to meet the needs of 1.1 million households – 4% of UK homes, or a third of homes in London, or almost half the homes in Scotland.

BWEA Chief Executive Maria McCaffery, who was onsite to witness the commissioning, said: “This is a day for celebrating the achievement of a significant milestone for our industry and underlining the position of wind energy as the true leader in the renewables revolution. There is still much work to do if we are to achieve the Government’s target of delivering 10% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2010, but today’s news is a tremendous step forward for harnessing our abundant natural resources for clean and sustainable energy production which is essential in overcoming the challenges of climate change and securing energy supply.”

Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Alistair Darling, said: “Reaching two gigawatts is a significant landmark and the UK wind industry is to be applauded. It reflects the Government’s commitment to expanding the UK’s renewable energy resource. This is central to our efforts to tackle climate change, highlighted again last week by the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change. “We want 20% of our electricity to come from these green sources and we are working hard on removing any barriers to achieving that aim. Wave, tidal and offshore wind power can make a significant contribution in future but onshore wind energy is delivering capacity here and now.”

Airtricity Chief Executive Eddie O’Connor added: “We are delighted that our new 72 MW Braes of Doune wind farm is playing a pivotal role in achieving a UK generation record of two gigawatts of wind power.

Wind energy replaces fossil fuel when the wind is blowing and so saves the cost of buying the fuel. Wind is free. Wind energy has a fixed price and so mitigates the risk of fossil fuel price fluctuations. In a study carried out on the Scottish market it has been shown that the customer gets a reduction in price of 6% because of the risk reduction that wind entails. Such a large amount of wind means that the spot price of fossil fuels is reduced. If the wind blows strongly for a long winter period (as happens each year) then the price of next summer’s fossil fuels is reduced. More wind means that carbon fines are foregone and the world is made into a safer place. Airtricity’s two operational wind farms in Scotland and our planned on and offshore wind farm developments in the UK will help the country reach its renewables targets for both 2010 and 2020.”

The commissioning of the UK’s second gigawatt of wind power capacity is welcome news to many, including the RSPB, who’s Director of Conservation Dr Mark Avery commented: “Renewable energy can play a valuable role in helping to combat climate change, which poses a significant threat to birds and other wildlife. The RSPB welcomes opportunities to work with developers to ensure that wind farms are designed and sited so as to avoid damaging important wildlife and habitats."

This industry landmark demonstrates the rapid progress of onshore wind. It took 14 years to achieve the UK’s first gigawatt milestone in June 2005, following the construction of the UK’s first commercial wind farm, Delabole in Cornwall in 1991. Now, just 20 months later, the UK has built its second gigawatt with a total of 137 projects under its belt. With Government’s target for 10% of electricity supplies from renewables less than three years away, 2007 is a critical year for the wind industry if it is to meet widely held expectations of it as the main contributor to meeting targets. 771 MW is already under construction but a potential 6% (7.8 GW) of UK electricity supplies is still caught in the planning system from onshore wind projects alone, an issue that needs to be resolved rapidly if the country is to reach 3 gigawatts in record time and keep pace with other the countries flying the renewables flag.

For further information, see the accompanying status report on the UK wind industry - online at http://www.bwea.com/pdf/briefings/ukwindstatusJan07.pdf.