Steven Agnew, Director of RenewableNI, reflects on his time at 2025 WindEurope in Copenhagen, an annual European conference and exhibition with over 16,000 attendees which aims to put wind energy at the heart of a competitive Europe.
I found myself enjoying the benefits of being ‘parented’ by both RenewableUK and Wind Energy Ireland last week, as I set up stall with the former as a guest of RenewableUK but luckily I was only separated from Wind Energy Ireland by a hop, skip and a jump down the Bella Centre exhibition hall.
Speaking of separation, the US was a hot topic of conversation as you might expect. On the second day I noted that two people had mentioned to me that they would not be investing in America any time soon. It was only 9:10am and while the markets were in a spin, I was yet to properly wake up
Scale Up, Electrify, Deliver
It was all too fresh for the conference agenda to pivot to events across the Atlantic. The theme for the three days was Scale Up, Electrify, Deliver. To this end WindEurope published a new report Revamping Electricity Bills which argues that by taking non-electricity related charges out of electricity bills you reduce costs for everyone while accelerating electrification and decarbonisation. The study looks at four markets; France, Germany, Spain and Poland but a similar study that looked specifically at the Single Electricity Market that operates across the island of Ireland could be helpful in understanding why we see some of the highest power prices in Europe. Leave it with me…
There was frustration expressed by many panelists about the slow implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) by member states. Ironically RED seeks to simplify and accelerate consenting processes with a maximum timeframe of 12 months in priority areas. With wind farm planning applications in Northern Ireland taking around three years on average to receive a decision, this seems like the right target but a long way off from being achieved.
On the second morning, Invest NI hosted a breakfast reception at the UK Pavilion, showcasing Northern Ireland’s well-developed supply chain which services the offshore wind sector across Europe and further afield
A fresh perspective
One of the benefits of attending these international events is you get to see your own market from a different perspective. Great Britain has led the way on offshore development with the ScotWind model seemingly preferred to the process operated by The Crown Estate. Understanding why that is and what lessons could be learned in Northern Ireland was jotted down in my homework diary.
The key driver of growth of the industry in Great Britain and Ireland has been the introduction of a two-way Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, something which NI will also be adopting. A CfD provides a price guarantee for new renewable electricity projects, protecting the generator and the consumer from price volatility, which in turn reduces the cost of financing and ultimately lowers consumer bills. While very much the norm on these islands, it was interesting to hear that WindEurope has only recently adopted a policy to support two-way CfD scheme as its preferred method of market support. Clearly the UK Government has led the way on this with the Republic of Ireland being a fast follower.
Allies and alignment
Collaboration is required to see our industry thrive. In that spirit, I left the RenewableUK stall and headed to the drinks reception hosted by Wind Energy Ireland. Wind Energy Ireland and RenewableUK are closely aligned, having come together to create RenewableNI more than 15 years ago. Each has grown, evolved and rebranded in that time, working together to develop a clean, secure electricity system across these islands and across Europe. Co-parenting at its finest!
