Argyll and Bute Council has today (Wednesday 22nd February) approved ScottishPower Renewables' plans for Beinn an Tuirc Windfarm Phase 3, located approximately 7.5 kilometres north of Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula.

The project will consist of 18 turbines, and the total capacity of the project will be up to 36 megawatts (MW). ScottishPower Renewables has operated the original Beinn an Tuirc Windfarm since 2001, with the site’s 45 turbines generating up to 29.7 MW of power. The construction of Beinn an Tuirc Windfarm Phase 2 increased the number of turbines on site to 64, with a total generating capacity of up to 73.4 MW.

Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables, said: “We are currently in the final stages of completing the construction of eight new onshore windfarms in Scotland, which has seen over £650 million of investment. Onshore wind power is going to remain a critical part of the energy mix, and its continued development is vital if we want to meet climate change targets.

“Beinn an Tuirc was one of our first windfarms in Scotland, and we hope that Phase 3 can be the start of a new generation of onshore projects. It is the perfect example of the type of sites that we should be looking to build in Scotland. It is an extension of a site that has performed well for over 15 years, it has good access to the national grid, and a local skilled workforce who can support its construction and operation.

“With today’s successful planning decision, we now have nearly 70MW of consented onshore wind in Scotland. We will be working closely with the Scottish Government and the UK Government to look at options for supporting further onshore windfarm construction, and we hope that we can build this project in time to meet its 2022 grid connection date.”

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