The wind industry has changed dramatically in its journey to reach 30 GW of installed capacity in the UK. Renewable energy has gone from a marginal technology to becoming the major generator of homegrown energy for the UK.
Natural Power has been there every step of the way as wind energy has gone from strength to strength. Starting in 1995, we have helped build what is now a major industry in the UK, from helping some of the first UK onshore wind farms, including Windy Standard and Hagshaw Hill, to consenting one of the UK’s first commercial offshore wind farms, Robin Rigg.
Our founders were also part of the original partnership to create the Scottish Renewables trade body, which is now leading the way in guiding the relationship between the public, government, and the renewable energy industry.
Technology has evolved as we’ve gone from small scale turbines, through to the first 100m turbine being installed in Scotland at Crystal Rig, and onto the most recent news that over 250m has been consented at the newest OnPath wind farm. On top of this, MW size has increased massively from the first turbines being under 1 MW to Vesta’s most recent offering of 15 MW.
Our ControlCentre has been supporting the UK since 2014, now supporting over 200 renewable projects and is now the largest independent control room in the UK handling over 5,000 calls and 3,000 site accesses per month.
The favourable climate for renewables in Scotland and the UK has enabled Natural Power to expand to over 500 people across Europe and North America, and in 2023 alone we supported our client’s wind, solar and storage projects in over 25 countries.
The next 30 GW and beyond
As the industry continues its growth, we are investing in its future. The colocation of wind assets alongside other technologies, like battery storage, will see more dispatch reliability from renewable energy assets. The net-zero agenda and climate change is much more prevalent in the next generation of consumers and is becoming more important politically in the UK.
Life extensions and decommissioning of wind farms will also become an increasing challenge for the industry to overcome, building a sustainable method of reusing most of the parts in turbines and the recycling of materials, like rare earth metals.
Renewable energy has shown its resilience as it has grown to become one of the biggest providers of electrical energy in the UK and continues to advance in innovative technology and capabilities to ensure we have a future built on sustainable generation.