Stranoch Wind Farm EIA Planning

Stranoch Wind Farm is a 84MW capacity onshore wind farm developed by EDF Renewables located in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland. The wind farm could create up to 434 jobs across Scotland and result in community investments of £5,000 per MW per year.

Location

United Kingdom

Client

EDF Renewables

Project Status

Under construction

WSP provided infrastructure planning and environmental services, including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) support to EDF Renewables as part of the Section 36 application.

This included providing pre-application and consenting advice, carrying out the EIA and submission to the Energy Consents Unit for determination, as well as post submission support. Stranoch Wind Farm was consented by the Scottish Government on 24 November 2021. WSP is now in the process of discharging planning conditions for EDF Renewables and has carried out the planning monitoring officer role for the initial construction works.

Development consent was originally granted to EDF Renewables for a 24 turbine scheme on the site in 2016. However, with the rapid evolution of larger more efficient turbines, EDF Renewables re-evaluated the site to use fewer, larger turbines to improve efficiency and productivity together with minimising adverse environmental effects.

Having provided landscape advice on the 2016 scheme, WSP was commissioned to lead the EIA for the new application. As well as managing the EIA application, WSP delivered the consenting strategy, the wind farm design, the borrow pit assessment, the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) and shadow flicker.

Providing flexibility in the Section 36 Consent

With the rapid development of turbine technology, a design envelope approach was adopted for the wind farm that allowed flexibility in the exact turbine model in terms of rotor diameter and hub height. This meant that EDF Renewables could choose from a larger range of turbine models at a later date ensuring the most efficient model as close to construction as possible within these set parameters.

The Section 36 Consent geographically fixed the turbine locations within approved micrositing allowances. The consent then fixed turbine tip heights, at the fixed turbine locations, this included two turbines at 140m tip height, eight at 149.9m to tip, and ten at 175m. The EIA considered a design envelope of a range of hub heights and rotor diameters with a maximum rotor diameter of 152m.

turbine consented wind farm

20 20

capacity windfarm

84MW 84MW

homes could be powered by the wind farm

49,251* 49,251*

*Calculated based on the estimated amount of electricity produced by Stranoch 2 divided by the mean energy consumption of homes in Dumfries and Galloway.

Actionable innovations to mitigate environmental impacts on the site

WSP delivered an EIA report that considered the wind farm in perpetuity, taking account of the initial design, construction, construction restoration, operation and decommissioning and final restoration. As with most onshore wind, this includes mitigating adverse construction effects including the construction of new access roads and hardstanding areas for cranes; alongside the permanent infrastructure such as deep foundations.

The wind farm site has habitats that include wet modified bog and blanket bog. A long access road to the wind farm site, through part of the Garden and Designed Landscape (GDL) and a Special Protection Area (SPA) designated for hen harriers. As a result, the project team developed design mitigation to avoid areas of sensitive habitat and areas of deep peat, as well as mitigation through a habitat management plan to enhance areas of bog habitat. The project team provided measures to minimise disturbance to birds at specific times of the year, including a site shut down period and a detailed restoration scheme for land within the GDL.

Alongside other consultants such as MacArthur Green, Headland Archaeology, Envirocentre and Hayes McKenzie, WSP advised the client on topics such as landscape, ecology, ornithology, hydrogeology, geology, hydrology, peat, acoustics, shadow flicker and the historic environment; with in-house experts on hand to provide specialist advice.

A positive economic asset for local communities

The EIA report assessed the economic benefits of the wind farm construction, with a contribution of £124.4M in capital expenditure, and £3.5M awarded to contracts and 434 job years throughout Scotland. In addition, and as part of the Scottish Government requirements, £5,000 per MW per year would also be allocated to those communities affected by the wind farm (amounting to around £12M).

Following consent in 2021, EDF Renewables secured a Contracts for Difference (CfD) subsidy from the UK Government in July 2022. WSP is now supporting EDF Renewables with enabling works for the construction of the wind farm site.