There are now more than 67 GW of future wind projects in the pipeline for the UK and Ireland, reports the London based organisation Windpower Intelligence*. Of this total, 16.8 GW are onshore farms – an increase of 2.1 GW over the last year. But while onshore installations are expected to increase by 30% in 2012, a sharp slowdown in 2013 and 2014 looks likely. The pipeline represents all wind farms due to come online from 2011 onwards. It includes all early stage wind farms that have begun scoping work, made planning applications or received planning consent.
Scotland will remain the dominant location for onshore projects in the foreseeable future although the sites of new farms will tend to move southwards. The new project pipeline suggests Ireland and Wales could overtake Scotland by 2015.
Onshore and offshore turbine capacity amounting to 14GW is expected to be installed by 2015 creating a wind industry in UK and Ireland worth an annual £10 billion (€12 billion).
*UK & Ireland Investment Report 2010-2015, February 2011. The 200-page report forecasts the development of the wind industry in UK and Ireland to 2015. It contains more than 150 tables and figures which predict growth over the next five years by value, capacity, region, developer and wind market type – including operations and maintenance and turbine size.
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