MoD has objected to four windfarms in past year over radar interference fears

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has raised objections to at least four planned windfarms over the past year, citing concerns that the spinning blades could cause "unacceptable interference" with radars used to detect military aircraft. This issue may lead to a conflict between the MoD and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

In late June, the MoD expressed concerns regarding an onshore windfarm project in County Durham. The proposed Hope Moor project, which plans to install 23 turbines reaching heights of 200 meters, could potentially result in aircraft not being detected within an RAF Low Flying Area. This objection is part of a broader pattern, as the MoD has made at least four objections on national security grounds in the last year.

The DESNZ recently lifted a decade-long ban on onshore wind developments in England, which had been imposed by the Conservatives nearly ten years ago. The current government aims to double the UK’s onshore wind power capacity by 2030, designating Hope Moor as a nationally significant project whose fate will be determined by the energy secretary.