Shoosmiths' key takeaways from the Scottish Renewables Onshore Wind Conference

The Scottish Renewables Onshore Wind Conference held in September brought together industry leaders, leading onshore wind experts and stakeholders to explore the critical role of onshore wind in achieving net zero and how it can transform the onshore landscape. The event delved into various aspects, unveiling key insights and discussions that are crucial for the industry's trajectory.

Here are some of our key takeaways from the conference:

A Pathway to Net Zero and a Just Transition

One resounding theme echoed throughout the conference: the pivotal role of community engagement in tandem with community benefits. The highly anticipated Scottish onshore wind sector deal was signed later that day, and certainly took centre stage. Discussions revolved around the essential requirements from the Scottish Government and other agencies such as the planning system, to support the ambitious goal of reaching 20GW by 2030. With the existing Scottish capacity at 9GW, the sector faces the challenge of more than doubling its capacity within the next decade.

Barry Carruthers, Managing Director Onshore UK and Ireland for Scottish Power Renewables underscored the urgency, by emphasising that the projects currently in discussion are the ones slated to be operational by 2030. Time is of the essence, and the wind industry must act swiftly to meet its targets.

Land Use and Environmental Considerations

A noteworthy session that delved into discussions among environmental and biodiversity stakeholders. Rebecca Rylott Landscape Architect & Urban Designer Technical Director at WSP encouraged developers to actively engage in landscaping around turbines, not just for biodiversity and nature conservation but also for broader social impact.

Aviation Coexistence

Increasingly applicable to onshore wind, this session shed light on the offshore wind sector's experience in dealing with cumulative impacts on radar and other aviation considerations. The onshore wind sector stands to gain valuable insights from the experience of offshore wind developments, especially as onshore wind is poised for exponential growth.

Streamlining the Consent Process

Addressing the accelerated timelines committed to in the onshore sector deal, this session outlined how the industry can optimise applications, adhere to good practice principles, and reduce planning timelines. Developers welcomed these shortened timelines, as they provide the impetus to advance repowering and colocation projects, ultimately building investor confidence.

Notable discussions included fixing resource bottlenecks, key agencies and stakeholder organisations, and the role of education, training, and skills development in expediting the process. The conference highlighted the support from NPF4 (National Planning Framework 4) for renewables, offering a more permissive environment than planning systems south of the border.

Signing the Deal

The pinnacle moment of the conference as mentioned, was the signing of the onshore wind sector deal, described as "momentous" for the Scottish onshore wind sector. This achievement stood in stark contrast to the UK government's announcement the previous day, emphasising Scotland's unique position and commitment to advancing net zero ambitions.

The conference not only celebrated the sector's achievements but also paved the way for collaborative efforts, innovative solutions, and a sustainable future. The wind of change is blowing, and Scotland is at the forefront of harnessing its power.