RES seeks permitting approval for Scottish wind project

RES seeks permitting approval for Scottish wind project | Windpower Monthly

The 105.6MW Hill of Fare wind farm, plus accompanying energy storage, is an onshore wind project planned for 6km north of Banchory in north eastern Scotland.

RES plans to equip the project with 16 turbines, each of 6.6MW capacity, but a spokesperson for the company told Windpower Monthly a supplier had not been confirmed.

Energy from the project, if approved, will be connected directly to the UK's national grid and RES claims the project could potentially power the equivalent of 101,000 homes.

'Community benefit'

“In total we expect Hill of Fare to provide a £150 million boost to the local economy. The project went public in August 2022 and is predicted to deliver £14 million of investment in Aberdeenshire during construction and a further £66 million of economic activity linked to operations and maintenance work, during the wind farm’s operational life,” a spokesperson for RES said.

“Furthermore, it has been estimated that approximately £50 million could be paid in business rates to Aberdeenshire Council, supporting vital local services, alongside a proposed community benefit package of over £26 million,” the spokesperson added.

Once it secures the necessary permitting approvals from local planning authorities, RES expects Hill of Fare to be built and commissioned by 2029.

RES has been operating in Scotland since 1993 and has developed or built 21 wind farms, with a total generating capacity of 597MW.