Balblair Wind Farm Planning Application Submitted

Wind Power North 2 Ltd a wholly owned subsidiary of Vestas Development A/S has submitted an application to The Scottish Government for Balblair Wind Farm.  The application is made through a development agreement between Forece 9 Energy Ltd and Vestas.  The proposed wind farm is located on the Balblair Estate, approximately 2 km to the north-west of Bonar Bridge, within the Highland Council area.  The accompanying Environmental Impact Assessment Report shows how the project has been designed to achieve a balance between maximising energy capture from the project against the potential environmental effects of the development.

If approved, the project will include eight turbines,six of which will have a maximum blade tip height of 180m with the remaining two having a maximum blade tip height of 200 m.  The application includes for 30MW of energy storage and the combined total capacity of the development will be around 66MW.

Balblair represents a significant investment in the area for Vestas. In addition to contributing towards Scotland’s Net Zero targets, the site affords the opportunity for biodiversity net gain by removing self-seeded sitka spruce and drain blocking to rewet the environment improving peatland on site.  The project will provide employment opportunities within the supply chain, as well as a community fund to support local projects and initiatives. Vestas are committed to paying community benefit at the Scottish Government’s recommended rate of the equivalent of £5,000 per MW per year for wind turbines, equating to £180,000 per year- an anticipated total of £5.4 million over the project’s lifetime.

The application documents can be viewed and downloaded from Force 9 Energy's Balblair page ( https://www.force9energy.com/projects/current/balblair) and dedicated project website (www.balblairwindfarm.co.uk) and can be viewed at Bonar Bridge Library during opening hours and the Highland Council planning offices.