Renewable energy company BayWa r.e. has received planning approval from the Scottish Government for Corriegarth 2 Wind Farm, near Gorthleck and south-east of Foyers, in the Scottish Highlands.
An extension to the operational Corriegarth Wind Farm owned by Greencoat UK Wind Plc., the consented scheme would be able to produce enough clean, domestically sourced renewable energy to meet approximately 82% of the domestic electricity demand in Inverness*.
BayWa r.e. is committed to maximising benefits for the environment and local communities through its developments. For the Corriegarth 2 Wind Farm, around 100 hectares of peatland will be restored and rejuvenated as part of a comprehensive habitat enhancement plan. Additionally, the wind farm will actively support the broader regional eagle management plan, which is currently underway.
Once operational, Corriegarth 2 will deliver a community benefit fund of over £330,000 a year, totalling just under £10 million during the 30-year life of the wind farm, to support local charities and community projects.
The construction of Corriegarth 2 Wind Farm is anticipated to inject an estimated £11 million into the Highland economy, with £32 million spent in Scotland overall**. As a member of Inverness Chamber of commerce, BayWa r.e. will work with business leaders to identify local supply chain opportunities.
John Milligan, Managing Director at BayWa r.e. UK Ltd., said:
“This marks a milestone wind project consent for our UK team, being fully BayWa r.e. led from inception to planning permission. By developing an extension to an operational project, we have been able to take advantage of existing access and grid infrastructure to minimise impacts whilst making a significant contribution to net zero targets. We appreciate the support and collaboration with our long-term partners at Greencoat UK Wind Plc., owners of the existing Corriegarth Wind Farm, throughout the development process of Corriegarth 2.”
The project will contribute to the Scottish Government’s ambitious onshore wind targets, which require 20 GW of installed onshore wind capacity by 2030. Corriegarth 2 Wind Farm is expected to start construction in 2025, with commissioning and operation planned for 2026.
In the UK, BayWa r.e. are currently working on delivering a pipeline of 2.75 GW across onshore wind, solar, and battery energy storage system projects.
Notes to Editors
*Domestic electricity demand (GWh) from the most recent statistics from DESNZ on Sub-national electricity consumption data per domestic meter point for the Highlands (624.9 GWh as of 2021), while Inverness estimate is derived by combining the consumption data alongside UK population statistics from ONS (mid-year 2021) and the National Records of Scotland (mid-year 2020); Highlands consumption is divided by the total population (238,060) and multiplied by the Inverness inhabitants (47,790) to come up with an MWh estimate of domestic consumption for this city. Dividing the expected annual wind site GWh generation by the Highlands and estimated Inverness consumption estimate gives the predicted coverage of COR 2 across these demand centres.
**Based on the BiGGAR Economics report commissioned by RenewableUK61, onshore wind Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) is £1.32 m per MW on average. On this basis, it is estimated that, during the construction phase, the Development will be worth approximately £47 million to the UK economy. Of that approximately £36 million is expected to be spent within Scotland (national) and £12 million is expected to be spent within Highland (regional).
