SSE Renewables welcomes Highland Council decision on Glencassley wind farm

The proposed Glencassley wind farm site is located approximately 6km north of Rosehall, between the River Cassley and Loch Shin, and lies wholly within the Highland Council’s ‘Area of Search for Wind Energy Development’.

Since an application for the 26 turbine scheme was submitted in July 2012, a recommendation has been received from the Highland Council to remove three turbines from the south of the site. Further discussion with the Council and key stakeholders has led to this recommendation being agreed, and the proposal reduced to 23 turbines with a total installed capacity of up to 69MW.

The site has been carefully selected and designed to minimise any impacts and visibility in the surrounding area with detailed surveys and assessments being undertaken over the last two years as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). It is located adjacent to existing energy infrastructure and would utilise existing tracks. The turbine heights have also been reduced from 135m to 126.5m and numbers halved from the original 47 turbine scoping design.

Director of Onshore Renewables, Colin Nicol, said: “We welcome the committee’s decision today, which follows the planning report recommendation. It is an important step in the consent process for the project and reflects the hard work that we have put into developing the proposal, as well as the open and positive consultation we’ve had with key stakeholders.

“As a responsible developer, we have taken considerable care with the design and setting of the scheme, and a wealth of environmental work has been undertaken to identify and reduce any potential impacts. In addition, feedback received has helped to shape the design, including the recent removal of three turbines from the south of the site, and there were no objections to the scheme from local community councils.

“If consented, the scheme will deliver significant economic and employment opportunities to the local area, as well as other important benefits such as skills and training initiatives linked to our industry leading community investment programme*. SSE is proud to have been part of the Highland community for generations and we want to make sure local people continue to benefit from the responsible development of the area’s natural energy resources.”

SSE has a strong history in the Highlands and Islands, where it already employs around 2000 people, and is expected to invest between £5-10bn in the region over the next ten years across its various business units. If consented, Glencassley would form part of this planned investment and make an important contribution towards the Scottish Government’s renewables targets.

As part of its responsible approach to renewable energy, SSE has made a clear statement of intent in a number of areas in order to help maximise the benefits of its projects in the Highlands. These include actively promoting new business opportunities to local companies and suppliers through its dedicated Highlands and Islands web portal at www.sseopen4business-highlands.com**; creating apprenticeships and skills opportunities for young people in the Highlands as evidenced by its strategic partnership with University of Highlands and Islands***; delivering best practice in environmental management during construction; and maximising local job opportunities.

SSE’s wind farms are already bringing a range of community benefits in addition to generating clean, renewable energy. These include increased job opportunities and improvements to the built and natural environment. In addition we have, for a number of years, established local funds as our way of saying thank you to the communities which host our wind farms.

All new wind farms receive a community investment fund of £5,000 per megawatt of installed capacity, which is made up of:

• £2,500 per megawatt for local community projects; and
• £2,500 per megawatt for a regional fund.

As part of SSE’s commitment to local supply chain initiatives it recently launched a new website www.sseopen4business-highlands.com designed specifically to offer Highland businesses, service providers and local suppliers the opportunity to do business with Scotland’s leading renewable energy generator and developer;

In November 2012, SSE and UHI signed a partnership agreement aimed at helping the Highlands and its people make the most of the opportunities arising from the Energy industry. Key areas for collaboration include creating the right training infrastructure and in promoting innovation and research. The partnership builds on the £3m that SSE has already committed to training and skills in the Highlands, evidenced recently by a pilot initiative with Inverness College which gives 28 young people the skills and opportunity to enter the energy industry.