SCOTTISH ministers have granted approval for a new wind farm in the Highlands.
SSE Renewables welcomed the decision to grant Section 36 planning consent for Cloiche onshore wind farm, located on the Glendoe and Garrogie Estates.
It is adjacent to the operational Stronelairg Wind Farm and Glendoe Hydroelectric Scheme, to the south-east of Fort Augustus.
The 29 turbine Cloiche Wind Farm is set to have an installed generation capacity of up to 125MW, enough renewable energy to typically power over 150,000 UK homes annually and offset over 190,000 tonnes of carbon per annum.
The wind farm site is also situated in an area of peatland affected by extreme erosion, resulting in the ongoing emission of stored carbon dioxide.
SSE Renewables, a developer and operator of renewable energy headquartered in Perth, said it plans to undertake long-term restoration of extensive areas of degraded peatland.
It added that, over the life of the wind farm, it expects to help meet Scottish Government targets for peatland restoration.
Heather Donald, the firm's director of onshore development and construction, said: “We welcome the decision made by the Scottish Government to grant consent for Cloiche Wind Farm. Onshore wind projects like Cloiche are critical to delivering the net zero transition, and have an essential role to play in decarbonising the UK’s energy supply.
“We have worked closely with the local community, listening carefully to people’s views, to ensure that we are considering local needs and priorities wherever possible. We would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their feedback throughout the development of Cloiche Wind Farm. It has been central in helping us develop our proposals."
SSE Renewables is expected to progress the project through the final stages of development in preparation for a potential construction start in 2026.
Final delivery of the wind farm will be subject to the project securing a route to market, and a final investment decision.
