RES submits revamped Nairnshire wind farm plans

A Section 36 application for the re-designed Cairn Duhie Wind Farm, located south east of Ferness, has been submitted by RES to Scottish Ministers.

The plans optimise the 20-turbine Cairn Duhie scheme, which was consented in October 2017, with a reduced 16-turbine layout, utilising modern turbines. Online consultation held by RES in May 2020 demonstrated local support for the proposal, with 65% of comments forms from the local area stating that they were ‘supportive’ or ‘strongly supportive’ of the revised scheme.

Craig Smith, Development Project Manager, at RES commented: “We’ve been delighted with the level of engagement from the community and the positive feedback we’ve received so far. It is clear from the consultation we held earlier in the year that people are very aware of the global climate change emergency and the important role that projects like Cairn Duhie can play in helping tackle this issue.”

“New onshore wind is now the cheapest form of new electricity generation. It means, if consented, the re-designed Cairn Duhie Wind Farm will produce low carbon renewable energy at least cost to consumers, providing the perfect platform to grow our economy sustainably in the future.”

RES has also been exploring ideas and opportunities for local benefits with the community. The feedback received demonstrated that discounting the annual electricity bills of residents living closest to the proposal was the preferred opportunity. The renewable energy company will also continue to work with the community to investigate other meaningful forms of local benefit, which were raised during conversations locally.

If consented, the scheme would be capable of producing low-cost, renewable energy for around 52,000 homes. In addition, the project is expected to deliver approximately £4.4 million of inward investment to the local area in the form of jobs, employment and use of local services and around £21 million in business rates to The Highland Council during its operational life.

A formal consultation period will be advertised and held by the Scottish Government to enable the public, as well as statutory consultees, to submit comments on the proposal. These comments will then be assessed against the proposal and a determination made by the Scottish Government. An electronic copy of the full planning application and associated documents can be viewed or downloaded from the project website at www.cairnduhie-windfarm.co.uk.

ENDS

About RES

RES is the world’s largest independent renewable energy company active in onshore and offshore wind, solar, energy storage, transmission and distribution. At the forefront of the industry for 39 years, RES has delivered more than 19GW of renewable energy projects across the globe and supports an operational asset portfolio exceeding 7GW worldwide for a large client base. Understanding the unique needs of corporate clients, RES has secured 1.5GW of power purchase agreements (PPAs) enabling access to energy at the lowest cost. RES employs more than 3,000 people and is active in 10 countries. 

The planning application and accompanying documents such as the Environmental Statement (ES) and Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) Report will be made available to view or download from the Scottish Government’s planning website once formally registered (as well as on the Cairn Duhie project website), and a direct link to the Scottish Government’s planning website will be provided on our project website at www.cairnduhie-windfarm.co.uk in due course. In addition, RES is providing copies of the Non-Technical Summary and other planning documents (including the Environmental Impact Assessment Report) to people upon request.

For further information about RES, visit www.res-group.com.