Following the Public Local Inquiry last June, Scottish Ministers have supported the recommendation of The Reporters and consented the application. Infinergy now awaits a decision on the Limekiln Wind Farm Section 36C variation application, which if successful would see a reduction in the number of turbines in that scheme, but an increase in capacity of turbines on the site, matching those of the Limekiln Extension project.
Esbjörn Wilmar, Managing Director of Infinergy said: “I am delighted that The Scottish Ministers have upheld the decision of The Reporters with this decision. This extension allows the increase of renewable energy generated at this site, which like Limekiln, has a long history of commercial land use. In addition, Limekiln Extension will make a valid contribution not only to the fight against climate change, but importantly at this time, the energy security of this country as a whole.”
Located to the east of Limekiln Estate, the proposal consists of 5 turbines which will add an additional 21 MW of installed capacity and has the potential to supply the equivalent of the average annual domestic electricity needs of over 18,494 homes, bringing the total number of homes supplied by both projects to nearly 50,000.
Construction, commissioning, and site restoration are anticipated to take around 18 months, with potential opportunities for local companies and local workforce to be involved. The 5-turbine scheme, which also incorporates a battery storage array, includes plans for a connecting path to link the Limekiln Forest and Broubster Forest Core Paths, thereby improving access in the area.
Limekiln Extension comes with the industry standard community benefit fund of £5,000 per MW of installed capacity, which when added to the existing fund attached to Limekiln Wind Farm, equates to almost £400,000 per year (based on 4.2 MW turbines).
Infinergy and Boralex announced the execution of a 50-50 joint venture agreement in October 2017, aimed at developing a pipeline of onshore wind projects, including the Limekiln Wind Farm projects, essentially located in Scotland for a total estimated capacity of 325 MW.
The decision notice will be found in the downloads section of this website once published.