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Retire or repower wind farms?
11th Jun 2026
A debate rages over whether to leave turbine monopiles in-situ after turbines are decommissioned (image: Institute of Civil Engineers)
Early wind turbine deployments are reaching the end of their operational life, a new industry is evolving to decommission and, in some cases, to recommission these sites.
The UK Government, the world’s second largest offshore wind farm operator after China, has announced it intends to decouple renewables from ‘gas-linked’ energy prices. A move to a contract-for-difference (CFD) model, will allow renewables to undercut gas powerplants when selling to the UK grid.
That shift will incentivise a further buildout of offshore wind farms, including, crucially, to