- OVO Renewables will invest hundreds of millions to modernise old onshore wind farms, delivering up to 500MW of new capacity.
- The initiative aims to extend turbine lifespan and overcome planning hurdles for new wind projects in the UK.
OVO Energy, one of Britain’s largest energy suppliers, announced on Thursday, July 17, that it will launch a new renewable energy arm to modernise ageing onshore wind farms, extend their lifespan, and increase output.
The new division, OVO Renewables, will receive an initial investment of hundreds of millions of pounds. In its first phase, the company plans to upgrade wind assets capable of delivering up to 500 megawatts (MW) of capacity to power around 400,000 UK homes.
“OVO Renewables will help revitalise the UK’s early wind infrastructure and strengthen energy security by unlocking more clean power from existing sites,” the company said in a statement.
Britain, which built some of the world’s first onshore wind farms in the 1990s, now faces challenges with ageing turbines and growing resistance to new projects. Planning delays and local opposition have made it difficult to build new wind farms, increasing the importance of upgrading existing ones.
OVO Energy supplies gas and electricity to about 4.5 million customers across the UK. Through its new renewable unit, the company aims to play a larger role in the UK’s clean energy transition while improving efficiency and reliability in the power grid.