Of those, circa 3.4GW of wind projects have been in operation for over 15 years, with approximately 170MW of solar farms coming up to their 15th year of operation in the next couple of years.

With many ageing projects in existence, proactive planning is required to ensure that the life of these projects continues, allowing opportunities for both asset owners and landowners to maximise output from existing assets.

Clean Power 2030 Action Plan (CP30)

In light of the CP30 released in December 2024, regions in Great Britain have been allocated installed MW capacity targets for 2030 and 2035, in which the majority of operational and upcoming projects have already exceeded what is deemed to be needed. To maintain sustainable levels of renewable energy, it is essential the future of operational projects is prioritised.

Furthermore, future pressures on operational projects include the expiry of renewable subsidies, which significantly contribute to revenue generation. The Renewables Obligation, the primary support mechanism for larger-scale renewables, closed to new applications in April 2017. Most projects are accredited under this subsidy for 20 years.

Due to the age of many wind projects in the UK, the figure below shows how there are many wind projects in have either already reached or are coming up to their 25^th anniversary, which historically was the typical assumed operational lifespan for turbines.

Decisions therefore need to be made on whether to continue operating through life extension, repowering or decommissioning, all of which will be determined by technical, financial and regulatory factors.

Explore the options available for transforming UK ageing infrastructure into lasting assets below:

Life extensions

One solution is to continue operating the existing asset for a longer period. This option is cost effective if the infrastructure remains viable and the project can support itself without subsidies. However,  ongoing maintenance and upgrades to components such as gearboxes and inverters will be required. Additionally, there may be a need to negotiate land agreements and apply for extensions to planning consent.

Repowering

Another option is repowering by decommissioning the existing project and developing a new project utilising the latest technologies. This requires high upfront capital investment and usually involves negotiating new land agreements, obtaining planning permission and varying or applying for new grid connections. There are benefits, such as a reduction in maintenance costs and an overall increase in generational output. The Government announced last year that this option will be supported through the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round, which will allow repowered projects to bid for the CfD.

Decommissioning

Decommissioning is the final option, which involves dismantling and removing components where life extensions or repowering are not viable. If proceeding with this option, there is a need to safely dispose of components and ensure sufficient finances are allocated for such works.

Which option should I select?

Each strategy offers different approaches to managing ageing infrastructure, with benefits and drawbacks to each.  To achieve optimal results, assessments are required to determine the appropriate approach and early planning is imperative for a resilient renewable energy future.

Further information

Contact Helen Forbes

Proactive measures for data centres ahead of the new NESO application window