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A consultation has been launched today (15 December 2017), including proposals to enable remote island wind projects to apply for a Contract for Difference (CfD) in the next competitive auction for less established renewable technologies (subject to state aid approval).

Wind projects on remote islands (such as Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland) have great potential due to the strong winds on the islands and the opportunity to bring employment and benefit local supply chains. However, they also face higher costs due to their location and transmission requirements, which set them apart from onshore wind projects elsewhere in Great Britain.

The Government announced up to £557 million for future auctions in its Clean Growth Strategy and intends for these changes to be implemented, so that island wind projects can compete in the next auction, planned for spring 2019. The consultation will also seek views on how island communities can benefit from these projects.

The last auction proved the benefits of the Government’s competitive approach and saw the cost of new offshore wind fall by as much as 50%.

If a sufficient number of projects are successful it should facilitate the construction of new transmission links, which could deliver a range of wider and longer term benefits and cost savings to the renewables industry and to the island economies.

UK Energy Minister Richard Harrington said:

We’ve placed clean growth at the heart of our new Industrial Strategy. We are cutting emissions while keeping costs down for consumers, creating high value jobs and growing the economy.

We are delivering on our commitment to support remote island wind projects, which have the potential to benefit local communities.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Lord Duncan said:

Wind projects in the remote islands of Scotland have the potential to generate substantial amounts of electricity and cut emissions, supporting economic growth and delivering lasting benefits for communities.

Enabling these projects to compete in future auctions will reinforce the UK’s position as a world leader in renewable generation, as well as providing Scottish jobs in any projects supported.

I urge local communities, developers and other stakeholders to work together to ensure that such projects deliver lasting benefits to the islands.

A 2013 report for the UK and Scottish governments concluded that wind projects on the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland could supply around 3% of the UK’s total electricity demand.

More than 750MW of wind projects with planning consent on these islands could be eligible for the next auction.

The consultation also asks for views on other changes the government is considering making to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, to enable it to continue to support new generation and provide best value for bill payers in coming years.

These changes include proposals to increase the efficiency requirements for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and Advanced Conversion Technologies (ACT) as technology improves. This ensures that only sufficiently advanced and efficient plants are awarded subsidy.

Changes are also proposed to ensure that costs of future projects can be accurately forecasted and that future schemes continue to drive carbon emission reductions.

Notes to editors:

1. The consultation opened on 15 December 2017 and runs until 9 March 2018.
2. Government aims to support the development of onshore wind projects on remote islands, where they benefit local communities. This consultation sets out a proposed definition of remote islands wind, as a new technology that can compete in future auctions for ‘less established’ technologies (also known as ‘Pot 2’). The proposal is subject to state aid approval.

• 1st UK Government Severn Growth Summit to be held at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport on 22 January 2018
• Alun Cairns makes clarion call for Welsh businesses to capitalise on cross border opportunities at Cardiff Breakfast Club event.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns will challenge industry on both sides of the Wales-England border to “think big to shape and transform our economic future” when he addresses an audience of business leaders in Cardiff this morning (Friday 15 December).

Speaking at the Cardiff Breakfast Club event, Mr Cairns will say “economic opportunities do not stop at political or administrative boundaries” and that the “development of growth corridors will spread prosperity across Wales and enable the nation to compete on a global stage”.

The Secretary of State will announce that he will host the first cross-border, Severn Growth business summit on 22 January at the Celtic Manor Resort. He will call on local partners and businesses from across the South West of England and the South East of Wales to come together to explore how links between the two economies can be strengthened following the announcement of the abolition of the Severn Tolls.

The speech comes following the launch of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy last month which included the goal of developing growth corridors spanning the Welsh and English border to spread prosperity and enable Wales to compete on a global stage.

Mr Cairns will say that these corridors, coupled with the City Deals for Cardiff and Swansea and Growth Deals for North and Mid Wales will be the “building blocks needed to enable businesses and people to transform their local communities, their economies and their lives”.

During his speech, the Secretary of State will also take the opportunity to highlight the Cardiff’s “remarkable economic heritage” and its status as “a powerful engine of economic growth” for the whole of the UK.

Mr Cairns will say:

Cardiff is connecting itself to the rest of the country like never before, and having a powerhouse of industry, innovation and skills right here in our Capital City, is beneficial to the whole of Wales and the rest of the UK.

To achieve all of its potential, Cardiff must be competing in the premier league of European cities. From our outstanding universities, the improvements being made to its infrastructure and its credentials as a go to destination for major events, the city has the talent, the opportunities and the determination to rival the best in Europe, if not the world.

The Severn Growth Summit will bring a panel of speakers from leading global businesses, and higher education institutions together from either side of the border to highlight the opportunities that await from closer collaboration.

Those interested in attending the Severn Growth Summit will be able to sign up through the Eventbrite website from Friday onwards. A full list of panel speakers will be announced shortly.

Raptor persecution maps for England and Wales have been published to enable the police to clearly see where the highest incidents are taking place and focus enforcement efforts in the areas that need it most.

The maps present the number of shootings, trappings, poisonings and nest destructions that took place across England & Wales between 2011 and 2015 and will be updated annually, providing an invaluable intelligence tool to help fight crimes again birds of prey.

North Yorkshire will be a priority area as the most incidents occurred there (39), followed by Norfolk (17), Cumbria (11), Derbyshire (11), Lincolnshire (10), Suffolk (8) and Northumberland (8).

Wildlife Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

Birds of prey are a vital part of our animal landscape, icons of our cultural heritage and key to boosting local economies by attracting visitors to England and Wales.

These maps highlight hotspots across the country for crimes against these precious birds, enabling the police to crack down with increased enforcement in areas where it’s needed most – building on the valuable work land management, conservation and shooting organisations are already doing to help protect iconic birds of prey.

There are already strong penalties in place for committing offences against birds of prey and the unlawful use of traps and all wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The Government takes all wildlife crime very seriously and raptor persecution has been identified as a UK wildlife crime priority. Each priority has a delivery group to consider what action should be taken, develop a plan to prevent crime, gather intelligence on offences and enforce against it.

The National Wildlife Crime Unit also monitors and gathers intelligence on illegal activities affecting raptors and provides assistance to police forces when required.

These maps build on this valuable work and will help boost the fight against those who continue to commit crimes against raptors. In the five year measurable period there have been 262 incidents in England and Wales: 146 of these caused by shooting and 66 by poisoning.

The majority of incidents took place against buzzards (108), followed by owls (40), red kites (39) and peregrine hawks (34).

In January 2016 the government published the Hen Harrier Action Plan and the new maps will help support the six positive actions outlined in the plan, which are already underway. Today’s maps show one incident involving Hen harriers.

The maps were developed by the Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group, which includes Defra, the Devolved Administrations, Natural England, National Wildlife Crime Unit, the police, British Association for Shooting and Conservation, RSPB, Country Land and Business Association, Moorland Association, National Game Keepers’ Organisation, National Parks England, Crown Prosecution Service and the Countryside Alliance.