Consent secured for UK wind farm and co-located BESS
Published by Jessica Casey,
Editor
Energy Global,
Planning permission has been secured for Kirkan wind farm, which will feature a co-located battery energy storage system (BESS).
Kirkan wind farm is a proposed new project in the Scottish Highlands, located in the Garve district in the Ross and Cromarty region. Situated south of the A835, the proposed development comprises 17 wind turbines with a maximum height to blade tip of 175 m. Each turbine is expected to produce up to 4.8 MW of power to create a total of just under 82 MW. This would generate enough energy to serve around 85 000 households each year. It is anticipated that, over the lifetime of the project, emissions savings would be in the region of 3 057 990 t of carbon dioxide.
The project is being led by a partnership between Coriolis Energy and ESB. RSK Environment was tasked with completing the environmental impact assessment (EIA). RSK Group companies have also supplied archaeological services (Headland Archaeology), hydrogeology and peat risk assessment services (Water Research Centre), forestry/felling advisory services (ADAS), transport/traffic impact assessment services (SCP), and biodiversity net gain advice (RSK Wilding).
RSK was also responsible for managing the consent process and application, responding to stakeholder queries, and submitting supplementary environmental information to help the Energy Consents Unit of the Scottish Government make its decision on the application.
RSK Director and the EIA project manager for the scheme, Joe Somerville, said the primary challenges associated with this upland moorland site were a combination of deep peat deposits and potential impacts on the surrounding landscape, visual receptors and landmarks. He said these were ultimately overcome by making sure the wind farm design focused on sustainability and minimising the impacts on these aspects of the environment, while also taking account of technical and commercial requirements. Consent was granted on 25 July 2023.
Coriolis Energy Development Project Manager for the scheme, Trevor Hunter, said: “It was incredibly useful to be able to draw on RSK’s wide range of disciplines as part of a complex renewable energy project. Their dedication and expertise have played a pivotal role in securing a successful result for the Kirkan project, for which we are tremendously grateful.
“Of course, we need many more such projects to contribute to our legally binding targets as well, increasing energy security and lowering energy bills, so it is ever more important that projects like Kirkan are given proportionate, fair and efficient consideration and processing by all relevant stakeholders and decision-makers.”
For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.
Energy Global's Autumn 2023 issue
The Autumn 2023 issue of Energy Global hosts an array of technical articles focusing on green hydrogen, wind installation technology, blade monitoring solutions, and more. This issue also features a regional report looking at some key renewables projects in Australia.
Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/25092023/consent-secured-for-uk-wind-farm-and-co-located-bess/
You might also like
Lantana Capital announces auction of Heliosphera SA solar panel factory in Greece
Lantana Capital Ltd has been appointed as the mandated sell-side advisor for the public auction of Heliosphera SA's bankrupt solar panel factory in Tripoli, Greece.