EIR/202600505205 · FOI/EIR · not held
Wind turbine information and the impact of artificial intelligence on energy usage: EIR release
Information requested
I would like to know how many wind turbines in Scotland will need to be decommissioned in the next 10 years.
I would like to know how many wind turbines are currently running in Scotland that cannot currently be recycled.
I would like to know is AI having an impact on the amount of energy that we will need to keep producing.
Response
As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.
This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstancesof this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. The reasons why that exception applies are explained in the Annex to this letter.
I would like to know how many wind turbines in Scotland will need to be decommissioned in the next 10 years.
The Scottish Government does not hold or collate any information relating to the future decommissioning of onshore wind turbines in Scotland. Notwithstanding this, I am providing the below information that may assist in addressing the issues raised.
Zero Waste Scotland published a report in December 2025 titled ‘The future of onshore wind decommissioning in Scotland’ which provides projections for the number of onshore wind turbines in Scotland that will be decommissioned up to 2050.
With respect to offshore wind, decommissioning schedules depend on when a development reaches the end of its consented operational life under the Electricity Act 1989. Details of consents granted to offshore wind farm developers, together with details of any plans for decommissioning, are publicly available on the Marine.Gov website. Further information on decommissioning requirements for offshore wind farms is also available at Offshore renewable energy: decommissioning guidance for Scottish waters - gov.scot.
I would like to know how many wind turbines are currently running in Scotland that cannot currently be recycled.
The Scottish Government does collate information on the number of wind turbines in Scotland that cannot currently be recycled. Notwithstanding this, I am providing the below information that may assist in addressing the issues raised.
The Zero Waste Scotland report referenced above notes that facilities supporting the reuse and recycling of turbine components are increasingly becoming available.
The Onshore Wind Sector Deal committed to working towards establishing Scotland as a European hub for wind turbine blade recycling and repurposing. As part of the Sector Deal, industry committed to delivering (supported by government and relevant agencies) at least one specialist blade recycling facility by 2030. This commitment has been fulfilled with the establishment of a facility by ReBlade in Dumfries, which is capable of processing decommissioned blades in Scotland.
Scotland aims to become a world leader in the reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling of wind turbine components.
I would like to know is AI having an impact on the amount of energy that we will need to keep producing.
The Scottish Government has not undertaken a dedicated assessment of the total future electricity demand arising specifically from AI and data-centre-related development in Scotland. Notwithstanding this, I am providing the below information that may assist in addressing the issues raised.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) recognised in its 2025 Future Energy Scenarios that up to a fifth of Great Britain’s future data centre electricity demand could be based in Scotland. As data centres form a core enabling infrastructure of AI applications, growth in AI-related activity is (all else being equal) expected to contribute to increased electricity demand through associated data centre expansion.
Further detail on future electricity demand from data centres is expected to be provided through NESO’s Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) and the subsequent Regional Energy Strategic Plan (RESP) for Scotland, once these are published.
ANNEX
The Scottish Government does not have the information
Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), the Scottish Government is not required to provide information which it does not have. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about wind turbine decommissioning and recycling, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA. This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstancesof this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs.
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