Commenting on today’s announcement by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero that clean energy projects will be prioritised for grid connections, RenewableUK's Director of Future Electricity Systems Barnaby Wharton said:
'We welcome this confirmation of decisive action to remove zombie projects from the massive queue for grid connections. Linking up new clean energy projects to the grid faster is vital to maximise the amount of low-cost clean power we can provide for homes, businesses and factories all over the UK. Grid connection delays of more than a decade mean that we aren't making the most of our exceptionally strong wind resources, especially at sea and in Scotland.
'The huge queue for grid connections across the entire energy sector now stands at around 750 gigawatts, but the first-come-first-served rules have meant that zombie projects have been blocking the vital new renewables and batteries we need to reach clean power by 2030. Speeding up the process for connecting up new projects could unlock up to £15 billion of investment in offshore wind alone by enabling this projects to go live in time to reach the Government's target of clean power by 2030, as well as strengthening the UK's energy security significantly'.
More information on the Government’s announcement is available here.
Source: RenewableUK
