A new industry group, the Scottish Onshore Wind Developers Forum (SOWDF), was formally launched on 13 May, in a bid to bring together leading onshore wind developers and operators to ensure the sector has a strong and dedicated voice in Scotland.
The launch of the Forum comes at a critical moment for the sector. Scotland’s onshore wind industry is facing significant policy and regulatory headwinds, including the low ambition for the sector after 2030 as set out in the UK’s Clean Power Action Plan (CPAP), which risks undermining security of supply, consumer costs, jobs and investment.
The Forum’s members include Cubico Sustainable Investments, Low Carbon, GreenPower International, Muirhall Energy, Brockwell Energy, Belltown Power, Koehler Renewable Energy, Galileo Empower, Voltalia, Renewco Power, Wind2, EDP and Invenergy.
Together, the Forum’s members have a pipeline of more than 6 GW of onshore wind in development, which if built, could play a vital role in meeting Scotland’s climate targets generating clean, secure electricity capable of powering the equivalent of nearly 4 million UK households.
Through direct engagement with policymakers across UK and Scottish government, regulators and wider stakeholders, the Forum aims to help unlock long‑term investment, provide certainty to the supply chain and support Scotland’s ambition to accelerate clean energy deployment.
Commenting on the launch, Head of Development UK at Cubico Sustainable Investments and Scottish Onshore Wind Developers Forum member, Rosie Vetter, said:
“Onshore wind is a proven, cost‑effective technology that can be delivered at scale, supporting net zero, energy security and long‑term economic growth across the UK.
“However, the Scottish onshore wind sector faces significant uncertainty. Without a clear and ambitious pathway beyond 2030, investor confidence will be undermined and Scotland risks failing to unlock the full potential of one of its cheapest and quickest-to-deploy renewable technologies.
“The Forum has been created to ensure that developers have a strong, dedicated voice, working constructively with policymakers and regulators to support the sustainable growth of the industry and help Scotland deliver on its climate targets.”
The onshore wind sector in Scotland has played a pivotal role in helping the country to decarbonise its energy system delivering more than 10 GW of operational capacity to date. The sector makes a significant contribution to growth with an economic output of £12bn that supports around 12,000 jobs.1 More than £200 million has also been awarded in community benefit from projects since 1990.1
Notes
[1] https://www.scottishrenewables.com/our-industry/statistics
[2] https://localenergy.scot/projects-overview/
