Projects
Craigengelt Wind Farm: project details
Project Characteristics
| Area of land | about 1.5km2 |
| Location | 10km south west of Stirling |
| Turbines | up to 3MW |
| Height | 125m |
| Construction | 6 months |
| Grid Connection | Stirling Substation |
| Output | 21MW |
| Home Powered | 11,742 |
| Carbon Saving | 47,462 tonnes per annum |
Traffic, Transport and Construction
The project requires good road access from the central motorway network to the site entrance, passing as few residential properties as possible and minimising the impact and safety on other road users. To achieve this, several road access routes are under investigation. The most likely route will be south towards the site from Stirling and the M9. A limited number of abnormal escorted loads will be needed and these will be timed with agreement from the police. No road closures are envisaged. Craigengelt is a small well contained wind farm and so construction will last no longer than 6 months.
Grid Connection
Electricity from the wind farm will be connected to the national grid via an underground cable to an existing grid supply point in Stirling. The proposal is not in any way related to the proposed Beauly to Denny Transmission Line upgrade.
What is the life of the Project?
The project is granted 'temporary' planning permission for a period of 25 years. After this time, the wind farm is dismantled and removed from the hill. To ensure sufficient funds are available for this work, a special bond is put in place prior to construction. This bond is independent of Scotia Wind and remains in place for the duration of the project. If new turbines are to be erected after the site has been removed, a new planning application must be submitted.
What about cumulative impact?
Scotia Wind recognises the importance of undertaking an appropriate, high quality cumulative impact assessment of the proposed wind farm. This will primarily focus on the cumulative landscape and visual impacts of the Craigengelt Wind Farm with other projects under construction, and will strictly follow the guidance and methodologies of Scottish Natural Heritages guidelines. A cumulative 'zone of influence' of collective wind farms, together with photomontages / wireframes will also be used to assist in the cumulative visual impact process.
Community Benefit
Scotia Wind has initiated dialogue with the community surrounding Craigengelt with a view to investigating ways in which the local community can benefit from the project. The development team is very keen to engage in this process and provide the necessary information and support necessary to allow the local community to make the right decision about how they would like to benefit from the project.