Wind Power

Welsh government joins forces with industry leaders to speed up wind development

Welsh government joins forces with industry leaders to speed up wind development
Wind turbines on a hillside in Wales (Courtesy: Lisa Baker/Unsplash)

The Welsh government has made a significant move by appointing industry experts to lead its Renewable Energy Developer (RED) Programme, taking charge of crucial environmental assessments for various renewable energy projects throughout Wales.

Aiming to develop wind projects on publicly owned land, the RED Programme aligns with the Welsh government’s commitment to renewable energy generation, ensuring tangible benefits for Wales and establishing a noteworthy precedent as a publicly owned renewables developer in the UK.

Over the next four years, experts from renowned firms including WSP, Mott MacDonald, LUC, Temple, Dulas, JCTR, and Axis will collaborate closely to identify and execute these projects, offering essential services encompassing environment, transport, planning, and heritage expertise.

The primary focus lies in securing the necessary environmental and planning consent orders for the implementation of energy projects, while simultaneously providing counsel on broader aspects, such as planning, transport, ecology, forestry, cultural heritage, and social value associated with the schemes.

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The RED Programme emphasizes the delivery of social value, with a strong emphasis on community and environmental values. This approach fosters job creation and economic growth by actively engaging with local businesses and suppliers.

Julie James, Minister for Climate Change, said: “I am pleased to announce that we have appointed experts from across the industry to oversee projects by Wales’ publicly owned renewable energy developer company. Their expertise will help deliver our ambitious target to generate over a gigawatt of locally owned energy generation by 2030, and our manifesto commitment to generate at least an additional 100 MW by 2026. I thank all of our new framework members for showing their commitment to their role and look forward to seeing their work in action.”