CWL Energy has unveiled new plans for what could become the UK’s biggest onshore wind farm.
At 560 MW, it would be substantially bigger than the 349.6 MW Clyde project of SSE and even edge out the Whitelee site of Scottish Power, which has a capacity of 539 MW, although it took two extensions to reach that capacity.
Onshore wind is widely touted as the cheapest form of new energy generation, thanks to it being inherently easier to build and maintain than offshore wind power, although advanced lubricants like those from Mobil stockists can help reduce maintenance and downtime. New onshore wind projects have become problematic, however, since the UK Government excluded them from bidding in the reverse auctions for guaranteed pricing.
According to a scoping report passed to the Scottish Government, the developer explains how it intends to get round this by using tip heights of 200-240 metres for up to 80 5-7 MW turbines. It believes this combination should make it efficient and economical enough to operate without state aid. Solar PV and storage facilities may also be included in the final site.
If approved, the planned wind farm will be built in Dumfries and Galloway near a motorway and close to the English border. According to the developer, a planning application will only be submitted after:
“…extensive dialogue and consultation with local community and stakeholders.”
With a generation capacity much greater than the 50MW threshold, it will ultimately fall to Scottish ministers to decide any eventual planning application.
