Onshore wind pipeline hits key milestone

The UK’s pipeline of onshore wind has reached a milestone of 50 gigawatts, according to latest figures.

RenewableUK said the total capacity of projects at any stage of development including those which are fully operational has increased by 6.5% over the past year.

Scotland accounts for 75% of the UK’s current onshore wind portfolio, followed by Wales at 12%, England at 8% and Northern Ireland at 5%:

In 2025, the first full calendar year since the lifting of the onshore wind ban in England, 233MW of capacity was submitted into the planning system - exceeding the 188MW submitted across the entire nine years from the start of 2016 to the end of 2024 combined.

RenewableUK’s CEO Tara Singh said: “The UK has an opportunity strengthen our energy security further by securing more homegrown power in the current auction for new onshore wind projects to go ahead.

“We’re urging the Government to set its sights high to secure the maximum amount of low-cost onshore wind capacity in this auction round”.