Project updates
These are the latest project updates for Artfield Forest Wind Farm
Latest news
Dumfries and Galloway Council have consented the temporary met mast for Artfield Forest Wind Farm. View the planning documents.
The mast will remain on site for up to 3 years, collecting vital environmental data i.e. wind speed and direction and air temperature to help us understand site conditions better.
With consent received the project team will shortly be starting work on the plan and programme for installing the met mast at Artfield Forest.
If you have any questions about the project please get in touch.
A planning application for a temporary meteorological mast (met mast) for the consented Artfield Forest Wind Farm has been submitted to Dumfries and Galloway Council.
The purpose of the met mast is to collect wind and weather data from within the site. The mast will be 140m tall and be in place for up to 3 years. Full details of the met mast application can be viewed on the Council’s planning portal under Application Reference: 23/0223/FUL or can be accessed via the Planning Applications tab on this website.
If you have any questions please Get in Touch.
Statkraft welcome the news that the Scottish Government has given its consent to Artfield Forest Wind Farm.
Artfield Forest Wind Farm was Statkraft’s first project to progress through the planning and development process entirely under Covid-19 restrictions. All consultation were carried out online, from being introduced to local communities and statutory consultees back in May 2020, through submission to the Energy Consents Unit in April 2021.
As Statkraft’s development team were unable to meet with stakeholders in person, we would like to thank local communities and statutory consultees for engaging with us throughout the development phase through online exhibitions, chat sessions, and video calls to hear more about our plans, and provide feedback to help refine the project.
It is estimated that the 12 turbine Artfield Forest Wind Farm will generate enough clean renewable electricity to power the equivalent of 60,000* homes. The 67MW project was well received by the local community, with 57% of respondents agreeing that Artfield Forest was a good location for a wind farm. The local planning authority, Dumfries and Galloway Council, decided to “raise no objection” to the application and Statkraft were pleased that the project also received no objections from key statutory consultees, including NatureScot, SEPA, and Historic Environment Scotland.
With consent secured, our focus now turns towards delivering the expected benefits within the local area during construction and operation.
The project is estimated to be worth up to £72m during the development stage. During construction, spend in Scotland is expected to be up to £27m with an estimated investment of up to £8.7m into the local economy. As a member of the Dumfries & Galloway Chamber of Commerce, we look forward to working with them in the future to create awareness of the opportunities available to local companies.
Up to £336,000 will be available every year to the local area once the wind farm is operational. The funds are a direct result of Statkraft’s commitment to providing a community benefit fund of £5,000 per MW of installed capacity per annum for the lifetime of the project. We look forward to engaging with communities to deliver a fund which meets local priorities.
Statkraft is also committed to offering shared ownership to the community, should there be enough interest. An initial online meeting exploring the principles of shared ownership, hosted by Statkraft, and delivered by Local Energy Scotland, was well received. There will be an opportunity to explore and understand this option as the project progresses towards construction expected at the earliest 2026.
Statkraft’s Senior Project Manager John Wallace said: “The approval of Artfield Forest Wind Farm is good news for Scottish bill payers and businesses, and will contribute towards achieving greater energy security, and meeting the Scottish Government’s net zero goal by 2045.
“We worked hard to ensure that the wind farm was in keeping with the existing landscape and surrounding developments, and look forward to working with the community to deliver benefits and investment in the local area.”
(*) Based on 12 x 5.6MW turbines, onsite wind speed measurements and average household consumption of 3,618KWh per annum (BEIS 2019)
Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Planning Applications Committee has unanimously decided today (30 March) to raise no objection to the Artfield Forest Wind Farm.
Artfield Forest Wind Farm will be considered at Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Planning Applications Committee on Wednesday 30 March 2022.
For the sixth consecutive year, Statkraft have released its Low Emissions Scenario - an analysis of the energy world towards 2050.
A report has been published on how to maximise the economic benefits of clean power for consumers while ensuring that the UK reaches net zero emissions at the lowest cost.
One of the most common questions we are asked when developing our projects is 'Why here?".
We are pleased to announce that our application for Artfield Forest Wind Farm has been submitted to the Energy Consents Unit. The development, located approximately 8 kilometres north-east of Glenluce, is for 12 wind turbines, with a maximum height of 180 metres to blade tip.
The Company first proposed a 20 turbine scheme in May 2020 and has removed eight wind turbines through the design process and after feedback from the community and statutory bodies.
All planning application documents are available to view in the planning documents folder. We appreciate that there is a lot of information contained within the documents and encourage you to contact us if you would like information on a specific aspect of the project.
John Wallace, Project Manager for Statkraft said: “We would like to thank residents and community representatives for their time and input into the project throughout the design process.
We are committed to working with local companies to deliver our wind farm projects and, if consented, we will work with local businesses and supply chains for Artfield Forest. We encourage interested parties to register on our Local Suppliers form.
The Artfield Forest Wind Farm proposal includes a proposed community benefit package of £5,000 per MW of installed capacity, which would generate up to £336,000 per annum for the lifetime of the project. In addition to community benefit, we look forward to continuing discussions with the communities about exploring the opportunity to invest in the wind farm.
Statkraft is following Scottish Government advice in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the full planning application documents can be viewed here on the project website in the planning documents folder or on the Energy Consents Unit website at www.energyconsents.scot(External link)
About Artfield Forest Wind Farm
- Energy Consents Unit Reference: ECU00003245
- 12 Turbines
- 180m to blade tip height
- 67.2MW installed capacity
- Generate electricity equivalent to the demand of over 60,000 homes (based on average household consumption of 3,618 kWh per year)
Wildfires which devastated much of the Moray countryside in the north of Scotland last year have led to increased environmental benefits being proposed by Europe’s largest renewable energy producer.
Thank you to all residents and interested groups who took the time to visit our virtual exhibition to consult on our plans for the Artfield Forest Wind Farm.
Statkraft is progressing plans for Artfield Forest Wind Farm and we have started an online exhibition to present the latest plans to the public.
Over 900 residents and businesses within 10km of the project site have been sent an invitation to attend an online exhibition for Artfield Forest Wind Farm, held between 24 August - 18 September 2020.
A member of the Statkraft development team has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Scottish Renewables Young Professionals Green Energy Awards 2020(External link).
Although face-to-face meetings and events may not be able to happen until social distancing restrictions are lifted, we are confident that we can continue to carry out meaningful engagement in our project areas using a digital first approach.
We are pleased to submit a Scoping Request to the Scottish Government to progress our plans for Artfield Forest Wind Farm. The proposals are at an early stage and the Scoping Request to the Scottish Government seeks to continue our investigations and receive early feedback from consultees.
