While Wales remains dependent on fossil fuels, Cardiff has made significant improvements in the past decade to become greener and achieve net zero by 2050; an upcoming milestone is generating 70% of its electricity consumption from renewable energy by 2030. Thankfully, the country’s turbulent domestic politics – First Minister Vaughan Gething resigned in July — have not affected the government’s long-term strategy of becoming greener.
Recent Developments in Wind Energy
Recent high-profile meetings highlight Cardiff’s interest in pursuing wind technology. On 28 February, then-First Minister Mark Drakeford (Gething’s predecessor) met with representatives of the European wind industry in Brussels. Wales produces 1.2 GW of onshore wind and 730 MW of offshore wind and has plans to develop 4.5 GW of floating wind in the Celtic Sea by 2035. The goal is for renewables to provide 100% of Wales’ electricity by said year.
The February meeting is not the first time Welsh officials have praised wind power this year. Speaking at the Global Offshore Wind conference in Manchester this past June, Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Miles argued, “I’m proud of the part Wales has played in leading on offshore wind energy production so far,” adding that he’s committed to “[maximizing] the benefits to Wales by driving high-value investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, and skills as we look to develop and support further projects at key sites.”
One issue to monitor is the future of wind energy technology itself. In the United States, for example, the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy predicts that wind turbines installed “in the ‘Future’ period (2023–2025) are expected to increase in size by an average of 60% from the average of those installed in the ‘Then’ period (2011–2020), growing in total height from 122 to 202 meters.” The size of the turbines vis-à-vis the amount of energy produced is a factor to keep in mind, as the increase in turbine height, “coupled with larger rotor diameters decreases the number of turbines that can be installed in the fixed land area at the two typical sites,” explains the DOE. While the growing size of turbines means there will be a “substantial reduction in the number of turbines in each wind power plant,” the US agency believes that the total installed capacity and estimated annual energy output of those plants would increase.
Similarly, in a commentary for the World Economic Forum, Rishabh Mishra, a research scholar at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), mentioned hurdles to the growth of wind energy, including technological advances, especially in offshore wind, demand significant R&D investment to enhance affordability and feasibility, while transporting electricity from remote wind farms to urban areas “also demands costly infrastructure.” Moreover, “integrating wind energy into national grids is challenging due to its intermittent nature,” requiring improved grid management and investment in energy storage to ensure reliable supply.
Wind energy projects across Wales will undoubtedly be affected by the future of wind technology. Moreover, the successful reliance on wind energy is a complex topic which goes beyond the number of wind turbines built in Welsh dry-land or offshore, as grid integration, energy storage infrastructure and other issues need to be addressed as well. In other words, “significant investment is required” for the logistics and infrastructure needed to support the expansion of wind technology, both onshore and offshore.
One problem with green energy projects, including wind energy, is that we are talking about new infrastructure, which could mean the loss of green environments. For example, the Towy Usk green project in Mid-Wales would require an army of wind turbines and energy pylons, which would signify the loss of some pristine green areas. There is an obvious irony in destroying the local environment to develop infrastructure that will protect the global environment in the future.
Cardiff is also engaging in other projects to continue Wales’ green agenda. On 15 July, Cardiff launched a publicly owned energy company, Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru. The company’s goals include developing a minimum of 250MW of new renewable energy generation capacity by 2030 and an additional 750MW of new capacity by 2040. Moreover, in April, the British company enfinium, which converts waste into power for the UK National Grid, announced “progressing plans to invest around £200 million [USD 254 million] in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology” at the Parc Adfer energy-from-waste facility in Deeside, North Wales. This project will boost the Welsh green economy and could capture up to 235,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year.
Jobs, Politics, and Geopolitics
Going green is not just good for the environment; the Welsh government understands it is good for business and job creation. “We are absolutely committed to meeting our renewable energy targets and ensuring sustained economic benefit for Wales,” explained then-First Minister Drakeford in Brussels, adding that this objective “will be achieved through continuing to work closely with industry, the Crown Estate, UK Government, local communities, and our partners across Europe.” Like the wind energy project, enfinium’s waste-to-power energy is also expected to produce jobs. With CCS installed, Parc Adfer will support the Welsh Government’s ambition “to have 100% zero-carbon power by 2035 and support over one thousand jobs in the green economy during the construction phase,” the company explained.
Increasing green technology in Wales presents obvious challenges. The importance of training professionals in green energy jobs is a task some Welsh companies are addressing. The Wales-based Energy Renewable Solutions has launched a new academy for the green energy engineers of the future, which aims to train 400 technicians a year. “Demand is strong, yet there is a desperate shortage of skilled installers, and this is why we have established the Academy to help train the workforce needed in coming years as the industry grows and develops,” said Rhys Williams, CEO of ERS. The firm has received the backing of Tata Steel subsidiary UKSE, which provided a £100,000 (USD 127 thousand) loan to help finance the project.
The previously mentioned high-level meetings and announcements by Welsh officials of new jobs on the horizon and economic activity come at a much-needed time. According to recent statistics, out of the entire United Kingdom, Wales currently has the “lowest employment rate and highest level of people classed as being economically inactive.” According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, for December to February of 2024, only 69.1% (1.4 million) of working-age adults aged 16-64 in Wales are employed; the number in employment declined by 42,000 in the quarter and 14,000 compared to a year earlier. Similarly, Wales also has the highest number of working-age adults categorized as being economically inactive, reaching 28.1%, compared to 22.1% for the UK as a whole.
In late July, Eluned Morgan became the country’s third first minister this year following a vote in the Welsh Parliament. In remarks to the BBC, Morgan talked about her government’s agenda and expectations of the Welsh people, “I imagine that they would want a much stronger economy than we’ve got at the moment, focusing on good quality, ideally, green jobs.” The mention of green jobs is noteworthy, as it demonstrates that the Wales’ political turmoil has not affected the overall strategy to go green.
One final issue to keep in mind, is the geopolitics of green energy, including wind energy. Wales primarily obtains energy from fossil fuels, namely gas; no electricity generation from nuclear and coal has occurred since 2015 and 2019, respectively. Going green means a country increases its energy security and becomes less dependent on international energy suppliers of coal, gas, or oil. “The EU’s investment in wind power is also part of a broader strategy to decarbonize its energy grid, which further influences its geopolitical stance and relations with both energy-importing and exporting nations,” explained Mishra from CNRS. Wales is part of the United Kingdom; hence, foreign policy decisions are dependent on London. However, it is positive for the country to become less dependent on fossil fuels during growing international tensions.
Final Thoughts
While global geopolitics become increasingly fragmented, the consequences of climate change, pollution, and environmental destruction become more apparent. Scientists, for example, are proposing a Category 6 for hurricanes, given their growing intensity in recent years due to climate change. The global disorder makes the pledges of international environmental agreements, case in point the Paris Agreement, much more challenging to achieve. However, some governments are still working on their strategies.
Wales’ green energy transition will not only be good for the country’s environment (and also help the global environment), but this green future will, hopefully, help the Welsh economy by stimulating job creation and new investment opportunities. Moreover, at a time of growing global tensions, green energy, particularly wind energy, can help Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom improve their energy security by becoming more energy independent.
Wilder Alejandro Sánchez is president of Second Floor Strategies, a consulting firm in Washington, D.C. He is an analyst who monitors defense, geopolitical, environmental and trade issues across the Western Hemisphere, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect those of Geopoliticalmonitor.com.
