Boralex is pleased to announce that Limekiln Wind Farm and all its turbines are now operational. Limekiln Wind Farm, located near Thurso in Caithness, is the Corporation’s flagship project in Scotland and its first operational site in the United Kingdom, with an installed capacity of 106 MW.
“I am extremely proud of the Boralex team, whose expertise and dedication over the past few years have enabled us to reach this historic milestone for the company today,” said Patrick Decostre, President and CEO. “The UK is a key geography in achieving our growth and diversification objectives, and the operation of Limekiln Wind Farm enables us to strengthen our strategic position in the UK, while contributing to the global energy transition.”
“The operational phase announced today is a major step towards achieving our ambition of increasing our portfolio of ready-to-build and operational renewable energy assets in the UK, a market with high development potential, to 1 GW by 2030,” said Nicolas Wolff, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Europe. “It is also the result of valuable consultation work with local communities carried out by our teams, who have been present on the ground since the very first stages of the project.”
Limekiln Wind Farm consists of 24 Vestas V136-4.5MW wind turbines, measuring 150m to the tip of the blade. Apart from zero-carbon electricity, the wind farm will also deliver a full package of social, economic and environmental benefits, including biodiversity enhancements such as a native species planting scheme and a peat restoration programme, as well as a Community Benefit Fund of over £500,000 annually for the life of the project.
This project benefits from a government-backed 15-year Contract for Difference (CfD) that will start in April 2028. Boralex has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Statkraft, one of the leading PPA providers in the UK, to cover the period between commissioning of the wind farm, and the beginning of the CfD.
In addition, the project offers local employment opportunities: the site’s operation would support at least 8 direct jobs and around 50 indirect jobs. Lastly, the wind farm will provide sufficient electricity to meet the needs of around 100,000 British homes every year, based on the average generation mix of UK power sources.