Brought to you by
WJM
Public support for new renewables projects is crucial as the industry takes innovative action, with WJM’s team of experts on hand to provide strategic advice to the energy sector
DISCUSSIONS surrounding climate change have moved on considerably over the last year as a result of the ongoing energy crisis, accelerating the need for public support for renewable energy projects.
Industry leaders have been shining a light on the need for greater energy security following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the ways in which renewables and other clean energy solutions could help protect this.
The status of the energy market was just one of the issues examined at Scottish law firm Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP’s annual renewables seminar, where experts and industry spokespeople joined forces to discuss the future of Scotland’s energy sector.
Conversations also centred on issues such as repowering existing windfarm projects, battery storage technologies, future-proofing sites, and the obstacles and opportunities presented by increased Peatland restoration and its impact on the onshore wind industry.
Renewables experts say there is a need within the industry to stay positive, particularly as energy security and supply has become more important than ever. Notable speakers at the event included Karen Anne Hutton from Renewable Energy System (RES), David Bell from David Bell Planning, Finley Becks-Phelps from Fred Olsen and Bill Ireland from Logan Energy.
Andy McFarlane, Head of Renewables at WJM, said: “Those in the renewables industry can be very proud of the role they've played in creating affordable local energy, as onshore and offshore wind have both been key drivers in reducing costs, which would be exponentially higher if it was coming from fossil fuels rather than renewables.
“As people become more aware of the benefits that new renewables projects can bring, especially when it comes to tackling the energy crisis, public support for the use of new wind and solar farms has soared.”
NPF4 LEGISLATION
EXPERTS at this year’s conference – which was titled ‘Repower, Recharge, Rethink’ – also gave their initial thoughts on the newly revised National Planning Framework (NPF4), which lays out a long-term plan for Scotland’s development and infrastructure.
The NPF4 legislation has been tabled in the Scottish Parliament against the backdrop of intergovernmental climate talks at COP27 and seeks to assess planning applications in Scotland for the next decade.
The draft is currently being reviewed by the Scottish Parliament before being subject to a vote in the chamber before March 2023.
If approved, it can be adopted and published by Scottish ministers. Fraser Gillies, who is the planning team leader and managing partner at WJM, believes that the changes made to NPF4 so far are largely positive for the energy sector, and send a clearer message of what is to be delivered and how this can be achieved.
Fraser commented: “The NPF4 draft is radically different from the one we saw last year and has many positive changes, indicating a more supportive approach to renewables across the whole of Scotland.
“The need for the planning system to support the country in delivering its net zero targets while simultaneously protecting and enhancing biodiversity is a recurring theme throughout the document.”
REPOWERING OUR FUTURE
AHEAD of COP28, discussions around designing optimal energy projects using the latest turbine technology are also set to advance.
End of life planning for onshore wind has remained prominent, as many of Scotland’s current wind farms begin to reach the end of their operational life.
An analysis by Renewable UK shows that by 2040, almost nine of the UK’s current 14 gigawatts of operational onshore wind capacity will be reaching the end of its life.
Onshore wind represents one of the lowest cost, scalable, electricity-generated technologies and supports decarbonisation. Of course, knowing what to do at the end of an asset’s life is equally important.
When it comes to repowering, the term used for updating a wind project, it is a crucial time for developers to be thinking of the options for projects nearing the end of their lives and it’s advisable to consider designing an optimal, low-cost energy project using the latest turbine technology and design principles.
THE FUTURE OF RENEWABLES
LOOKING ahead, there is set to be renewed focus on how the nation will address the climate emergency and deliver on targets, with the renewables industry having a vital role to play in the UK’s future energy strategy.
Battery storage projects are beginning to crop up throughout sites across Scotland, helping to push down energy prices, and accelerate the country’s uptake of renewable energy.
Communities are also becoming increasingly invested in learning about wind farm projects and how turbine waste, such as the disposal of blades, can be tackled.
The use of future technologies such as battery storage and the instrumental role this could play in supplying the country with stable, secure energy is another major focus area for the year ahead.
Andy continued: “While the future of planning is becoming clearer for the industry, every project must still be treated as an individual, and developers should ensure each project will provide renewable energy without negatively impacting local communities.”
WJM’s team of renewables law experts can provide strategic advice on a wide range of industry issues, including NPF4, onshore wind, battery storage, planning or repowering.
For more information, go online at www.wjm.co.uk
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here