The Highland Council has today (17th September) approved plans from ScottishPower Renewables to develop a 15 turbine windfarm with an installed capacity of up to 34.5 megawatts (MW), located 15km south of Thurso in Caithness. Halsary Windfarm will be ScottishPower Renewables’ most northerly project in the UK, with a road distance of almost 800 miles between it and the company’s most southerly project at Carland Cross in Cornwall.

ScottishPower Renewables began developing Halsary in 2008, and since submitting the original application in November 2009, has continued to work closely with a wide range of stakeholders and consultees to refine the project in response to feedback received.

Simon Christian, UK Managing Director of ScottishPower Renewables, said: “We are very pleased to receive consent to construct and operate Halsary Windfarm, a project we have been carefully planning for five years.

“As a responsible developer of renewable energy, we have continued to work with the local community, Highland Council and key environmental stakeholders, listening to feedback and making refinements to the project’s design.

“Halsary will now be scheduled for construction and will add to our exiting operational Beinn Tharsuinn Windfarm, and to the marine energy projects we have in the early stages of development in the Caithness region.”

ScottishPower Renewables is one of the largest developers of wind power in the UK and was the first renewable energy developer to deliver 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity from onshore wind in the UK in 2011. The company now has an installed capacity of nearly 1.3 GW.

Media Information – ScottishPower Press Office - 0141 614 4660