Associations have raised concerns over the lack of clarity in government spending on renewable energy projects.

This follows the Chancellor’s Budget announcement yesterday, a fiscal plan which clearly boosts nuclear power and carbon capture and storage technologies.

In a statement, Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, expressed disappointment with the Spring Budget’s treatment of the renewable energy industry, stating that it had been “short-changed”.

Claire Mack said: “We urgently need a framework that will encourage investment in what is one of the UK’s most dynamic and fastest-growing industries and is at the forefront of the clean energy transition.

“We are faced with widespread uncertainty and increasing international competition so we must be much more ambitious if we want to deploy the renewable energy projects we need to safeguard our energy security and meet our net zero targets.”

In response to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget, the Chairman of The Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association, Chris Huhne, issued a statement expressing disappointment with the government’s lack of support for home-grown solutions such as green gas and onshore wind.

Huhne, the first Energy Secretary in the coalition government of 2010, criticised the budget for prioritizing nuclear energy, despite the fact that new plants would not have a significant impact on 2030 targets, even if they were built on time and within budget.

In contrast, Huhne noted that new biogas plants could be constructed within two years, thereby reducing emissions and enhancing energy security.

Huhne described the budget as a collection of distant promises that did little to support renewable energy and the achievement of net zero targets.