Leading British renewable energy developer RES has submitted a local planning application for a new wind farm in Morayshire.
If approved, the 20-turbine Cairn Duhie Wind Farm, located south-east of Ferness between Nairn and Grantown-on-Spey, will have an installed capacity of approximately 50-60 megawatts (MW).
Under S. 36 of the 1989 Electricity Act, the RES application by-passes the local authority and will be considered directly by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents and Deployment Unit.
If granted planning permission, Cairn Duhie Wind Farm will generate enough electricity to meet the average annual requirements of more than 30,000 households.
It will also provide a community benefits package of approximately £250,000 per year. This will be split between a Community Benefit Fund for investment in local projects and the innovative RES Local Electricity Discount Scheme (LEDS), which provides an annual discount on electricity bills to nearest neighbours.
Fiona Stevens, RES Project Manager, said: “We would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the consultation process and provided RES with their comments on our proposal.
“RES has completed extensive environmental surveys at the site and we are confident it is an ideal location for a wind farm. We have sensitively designed Cairn Duhie Wind Farm to minimise local impacts whilst maximising renewable energy generation.”
Based in Hertfordshire, Renewable Energy Systems (RES) – which focuses on the development, design, construction, financing and operation of wind farm projects worldwide – has a global construction portfolio of more than 8 GW.
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