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HIGH MARK WIND FARM

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Climate change is a very topical subject, with the Scottish Government recently declaring a climate emergency in 2019. In line with this, both the Scottish and UK Governments have set targets for the country to become ‘net zero’ in their greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, for Scotland, and 2050, for

England. To achieve this, the government is urging individuals, communities, business and other organisations to play their part, as action is needed from everyone. This can be done by small residential homes cutting down on plastics usage, food waste and energy consumption to multinational corporations challenging their supply chain, wastage and carbon footprint.

 

To help meet these targets, Wind Estate is pursuing an opportunity to increase the supply of renewable energy by proposing a new wind farm development called High Mark Wind Farm. The proposed wind farm would be located approximately 5km north-east of Cairnryan and 7.5km south-

east of New Luce on the shore of Loch Ryan immediately north of the Penwhirn Reservoir.

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This Proposed Development would consist of eight wind turbines, up to 230m in height. This site would also include a number of ancillary elements such as an access track, crane hard standings and control building, as well as temporary features such as construction compound and laydown areas. Depending on the turbine selection, this site could generate up to 49.6 MW of renewable energy, which would have the ability to power up to 46,000 homes with renewable energy.

 

Green Cat Renewables are working alongside Wind Estate as their environmental and planning agent to carry out all environmental impact assessments for the Proposed Development as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) planning process.

SITE SELECTION

SITE SELECTION

There is a clear, global mandate to increase the deployment of renewable energy to combat climate change, whilst decreasing reliance on fossil fuels and gas, particularly from politically sensitive regions of the world. It is in this context that Wind Estate is now seeking to increase its operational fleet of wind turbines, and Scotland is ideally located to be a world leader in renewable energy production.

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The renewable sector is vital for reaching the Scottish Government’s ambitious carbon reduction targets outlined in their draft National Planning Framework (NPF4) and the Onshore wind policy statement. In order for Scotland to achieve the legally binding goal of achieving net zero target by 2045, a further growth in renewable energy developments is necessary. Therefore, the Scottish Government has challenged the renewable energy industry to develop more onshore wind projects in the post-subsidy market. Wind Estate (UK) Ltd, recognise the national targets for renewable energy generation and the contribution which wind energy projects make in tackling climate change and reducing Scotland’s dependence on fossil fuels. With specific expertise, and a strong network of affiliates established in Scotland, Wind Estate are focused on developing and delivering more Scottish onshore wind farms.​

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Wind Estate are continually seeking new sites suitable for development throughout Scotland and have undertaken extensive site searching exercises to identify opportunities. The factors in assessing the potential suitability of a wind farm for Wind Estate include the following:

 

  • Wind Resource – a strong and reliable wind speed that will be sufficient for operating an efficient wind farm.

  • Access – ensuring it is achievable to deliver the turbine components via the local road network.

  • Grid connection – establishing a feasible means of connecting the project to the local or national electricity grid network.

  • Environmental impacts – reviewing of site constraints and assessing potential environmental impacts.

  • Technical impacts – this might relate to potential radar issues, or interference with microwave links. 

  • Planning policy – careful consideration of national and local planning policies are considered before establishing the principle of a wind farm site.  

 

In the case of High Mark Wind Farm, this site area was identified as a suitable opportunity to develop within a commercial forestry offering good access options and suitable distance from the nearest residential dwellings.

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We believe that the site offers an exciting opportunity to develop a wind farm project within an area where it is unlikely to cause significant impacts. It is anticipated that the operation of eight wind turbines can be accommodated within the site boundary and would sit well within the landscape without causing significant levels of adverse visual impact.

Click here to view our Scoping Report. It is also available to view on the Dumfries and Galloway Planning Portal with the Scoping reference: 22/1540/SCO

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