Minister outlines proposals to boost green growth

Proposals exploring how the Welsh Government can increase and accelerate green investment in Wales have been set out by Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant.

The consultation Green Growth Wales – Options for Investment Support focuses on how the Welsh Government can encourage growth in resource efficiency projects, in renewable energy, and in energy from waste.

It comes as new figures on low carbon energy generation in Wales are published.

The Low Carbon Energy Survey, commissioned by the Welsh Government, demonstrates the progress that Wales has made in achieving its vision of becoming a low carbon, local energy economy.

According to the survey, since 2012 the total capacity for low carbon energy in Wales has grown by over 70 percent to 2,770 MW.

Low carbon electricity generation potential has also increased substantially since 2012, up by 54 percent to 8.92 TWh which is equivalent to a staggering 57 percent of Wales’s national electricity consumption. Renewable electricity generated is equivalent to around 38% of Wales’ annual consumption.

The survey has also found:

•  There are now 51,303 low carbon energy projects recorded across Wales.
•  Heat generation has also increased, largely due to a surge in biomass energy projects. As a result, heat generation in Wales now provides the equivalent of 3.1 percent of gas consumption.
•  Low carbon heat capacity has also begun to grow significantly, more than tripling its 2012 capacity to 255 MW in 2014.

Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said:

“It is important to track where we in Wales are in making the most of our renewable resources.  That is why we commissioned research on renewable energy in Wales in 2012.  This survey is an update to that baseline, which was published in 2013.  It provides an important and timely measure of our progress in the transition to a low carbon, local energy economy.

“The ability to attract investment is central to the delivery of green growth. There are practical challenges in delivering green investment in Wales. Information gaps, access to expertise, project management skills and access to finance are all issues that limit development. That is why I am looking to develop further proposals to supplement our existing programmes that remove these barriers, and to deliver a step-change in green investment in Wales.”