Mossmulloch Wind Farm
Vestas Development A/S is exploring an opportunity to develop a wind farm on land 7km south-west of Strathaven with its development partner Force 9 Energy
Current Status
Our initial assessments for the site suggest it could accommodate up to six turbines of up to 200m to blade tip, with an output capacity of up to 43.2MW.
We have submitted a request for a Scoping Opinion to South Lanarkshire Council. The Scoping Request seeks feedback on the development proposals, the environmental topics that will be addressed in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which will accompany the application for the development and the methodologies proposed to undertake these assessments.
A Proposal of Application Notice (PoAN) setting out the proposals for public consultation on the project was also submitted to the Council in April 2024.
Full copies of the submitted Scoping Report and Proposal of Application Notice are available to view here.
Public Consultation
Vestas and Force 9 are committed to open and transparent communication with the local community. We will be holding a number of consultation events to provide detailed information about our proposals and offer members of the public the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
The first event took place in May 2024, with a further event planned for September 2024 (details below).
Second consultation event:
12th September 2024 – Gilmourton Rural Hall, ML10 6QF, 4.00pm – 8.00pm
The Site
The proposed site is located on land on the eastern edge of Whitelee Forest approximately 7 km south-west of Strathaven and is characterised by a mixture of moorland, conifer forestry plantations, and extensive wind farm development associated most notably with Whitelee Wind Farm.
The plan on this map shows the indicative location of the turbines. Further design work will be carried out following consultation and further survey work.
About Vestas
Vestas is a global leader in sustainable energy solutions. Vestas designs, manufactures, installs and services wind turbines around the world and has delivered more than 177 GW of wind power capacity in 88 countries, which is estimated to have avoided 2.13 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions. Since 2001, Vestas has been active in the United Kingdom and employs around 1,600 staff spanning technology, manufacturing, operations and maintenance, and support functions.
Vestas is funding the development and design of this wind farm project and is committed to supplying the wind turbines, managing project construction and providing long-term operation and maintenance services for the plant.
About Force 9 Energy
Force 9 is an independent, UK based wind farm developer, with a focus on developing sensitively designed onshore wind farms. UK wind farms in operation, or consented by the Force 9 team, have the potential to contribute more than 500 MW of clean, renewable generating capacity in the UK. Scotland has abundant natural resources and is ideally placed to be at the forefront of generating clean, renewable energy. Force 9 always takes careful account of the landscape, environments and communities where our developments may be sited, and is committed to ensuring that sympathetic and sustainable design principles are incorporated into our projects.
You can find out more about Force 9 Energy by visiting our website here.
Project Benefits
Community Benefit
Force 9’s development partner, Vestas, is committed to paying Community Benefit at the Scottish Government recommended rate: currently at a value equivalent to £5,000 per Mega Watt of installed capacity, for every year of operation (anticipated to be 30 years) to help fund community projects. For illustrative purposes, if a 40 MW wind farm is constructed, this would be worth £200k per year (index linked) for local communities, for each year of operation – a total of up to £6 million over the project’s lifetime.
Opportunities for Local Businesses
Vestas and Force 9 Energy are committed to giving local businesses every possible opportunity to share in the financial and employment benefits of the construction and operation of Mossmulloch wind farm. If constructed, Mossmulloch will offer opportunities for local businesses such as accommodation providers, hire companies, fencing contractors, tradespeople and machinery plant owners.
If you represent a local business, please contact us and we will register your interest and keep you informed about valuable opportunities for local businesses connected with the wind farm.
Key Facts
Up to six turbines with an output capacity of approximately 43.2MW
Enough renewable electricity to power approximately 28,400* homes per year
Up to £216,000 Community Benefit Fund per annum depending on the installed capacity of the wind farm on-site
Biodiversity net gain designed In
*Please note that this figure is based on 6 turbines with an installed capacity of 43.2 MW operating at a UK average capacity factor of 26.34 % capacity and assuming 3,509 is the average UK household electricity consumption in kW hours ( based on statistics from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Dec 2022 (DESNZ)
Timeline
April 2024
Submission of Proposal of Application Notice
May 2024
First Public Consultation
September 2024
Second public consultation
Winter 2024
Target submission
2026
Anticipated construction start date (depending on grid connection date)
2028
Anticipated start of operations
Have your say
We would like to thank you for attending today’s public exhibition and viewing our proposals for the Mossmulloch Wind Farm.
Thank you for your feedback, this consultation is now closed.
We look forward to receiving your comments on our proposals today or, if you prefer, you can follow up with comments to: info@mossmullochwindfarm.co.uk or in writing to:
Cavendish, 1 West Regent Street, Glasgow, G2 1RW
Please ensure your comments reach us by 28th June 2024
Contact
You can contact us via phone: 0141 264 2831 or email: info@mossmullochwindfarm.co.uk