Onshore wind production will play a vital role in the UK’s
transition to net zero. The industry has set an ambitious target for 30GW of
onshore wind by 2030. This will bring many benefits to society. Alongside,
providing a low-cost energy source, the scale-up of the onshore wind industry
will:
–
Deliver significant new employment opportunities
– Add
£45 billion to the UK economy
– Cut
carbon emissions by 6m tonnes per year (RenewableUK – The onshore wind industry
prospectus)
Our goal is to run our network of vertical farms on 100% renewable energy when
fully operational. However, if we are to achieve our ambitions, and see the
wider vertical farming sector thrive, there are some barriers to overcome,
specifically relating to the availability of renewable energy.
We urgently need the
government to accelerate the planning approval process and provide faster
access to grid connections for low cost and low carbon energy, such as wind,
solar and battery storage. If vertical farming is to reach its full potential,
these sources are essential, but without these actions from
government, we risk missing out on the immense environmental and economic
benefits of this revolutionary farming technique.
This is
something that we are currently consulting closely with DEFRA on, making our
recommendations for a smoother transition to green energy.
