The Northern Ireland Renewable Obligation (NIRO) incentive for small-scale wind projects closes to new installations today (Thursday) following legislation being approved by the Stormont Assembly earlier this week.

Economy Minister Simon Hamilton published a response to a consultation on the matter on Monday ahead of the Assembly’s summer recess.

The minister said that the consultation received 126 responses with approximately 93% of respondents favouring closing the incentive on 30 June 2016.

Grace periods

Onshore wind projects that met the eligibility criteria on 30 September 2015 can become accredited under NIRO up to 31 March 2017. Grace periods allow projects that meet further eligibility criteria relating to grid connection or radar delays or have funding delays, known as investment freezing, to become accredited up to 31 March 2018. If criteria are met for both grid connection/radar delays and investment freezing, then small-scale wind projects can still become accredited up to 31 March 2019.

The NIRO closed to large-scale wind projects on 1 April 2016 and is due to close to all new installations of non-wind renewable technologies from 1 April 2017 with a 12-month grace period for grid connection or radar delays.

Renewable technologies accredited under NIRO receive support for 20 years, but no new incentive has been outlined for future renewable projects in NI.

On Monday, Minister Hamilton said that he wanted to turn his attention to a refocused policy approach within a wider energy strategy, calling this the Strategic Energy Framework.