Find your frequently asked questions here
If you cant find your quesion here, please leave us your question in the form on the bottom of the page and we will give you an answer as soon as we can.
Statkraft is at the heart of the UK’s energy transition. Since 2006, Statkraft has gone from strength to strength in the UK, building experience across wind, solar, hydro, storage, grid stability, EV charging, green hydrogen and a thriving markets business.
Statkraft is a global company in energy market operations, more than 7,000 employees in over 20 countries.
We’ve invested over £1.4 billion in the UK's renewable energy infrastructure and facilitated over 4.3 GW of new-build renewable energy generation through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
Across our UK businesses we employ nearly 500 staff in England, Scotland and Wales and play a key role in helping the global business reach its goal of 9 GW of developed wind and solar power by 2025.
Read more about Statkraft UK.
The site is located in South Ayrshire, approximately 4km south of Straiton.
We have a history of engaging early with the local community, and have confidence that we can still do that despite face-to-face meetings not being possible at this time.
We have set up this website earlier than usual to provide an easy way for people to find out more and contact us when we are unable to be present in the community.
We welcome the opportunity to speak with local groups and residents by phone or video call at an appropriate time to provide more detail on our proposals, introduce the team and receive feedback.
Feel free to ask us a question, it would be great to hear from you. If you would like to stay informed on the project, please register for updates.
We are proposing a 12 turbine wind farm, with a maximum height of 200 metres to blade tip.
Before a planning application is submitted, we will hold a full consultation to show the final project plan in detail and give further opportunity for feedback.
To keep up to date throughout the project's development, please go to Register for Updates.
The Knockcronal proposal is partly on the site of the previously proposed Linfairn Wind Farm that was being developed by WilloWind Energy Limited. WilloWind Energy Limited withdrew their application in July 2018 and has no involvement in this new scheme being developed by Statkraft.
Yes. Even with our subsidy-free wind farms, we commit to a community benefit fund based on the Scottish Government recommended amount, which is £5,000 per MW installed.
The Knockcronal Wind Farm proposal includes a proposed community benefit package £5,000 per MW of installed capacity per annum for the lifetime of the project. In addition to the traditional community benefit fund for this project if there is interest from within the community we are keen to bring forward opportunities for shared ownership for this proposal too.
We are also keen to look for other ways our projects can bring meaningful benefits to the community such as the potential for improved access to broadband(External link), and are dedicated to working with Local suppliers.
Yes. We have a Local suppliers registration link on the website and please use this to get in touch if you are a local business and interested in the project.
We are dedicated to working with the local supply chain and plan to organise 'Meet the Developer' events for businesses (either virtual or in person depending on the prevailing Covid guidance) in the future.
To maximise the awareness of opportunities for local businesses available throughout the project delivery we are members of the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce.
We are assessing a number of access options for the project, both in terms of the port of entry and the site access/entrance from the public highway. These aspects of the route will be evaluated further and in detail once the turbine size is confirmed.
We will provide updates on the proposed access route as it becomes available on this dedicated project website.
Utilising battery storage is being consider as part of the Application. It is becoming more commonplace for developers to bring forward more than one renewable technology on development sites.
Statkraft is at the forefront of battery and grid stability projects, which are increasingly vital as the amount of renewable energy generation in the UK increases and we work towards achieving Scotland's net-zero carbon target by 2040.
Project Overview And Timeline
The exact wind farm design evolves as studies are completed on the site. At the exhibition in June 2019, a proposed layout was shown, but as more information is gained the number and location of turbines can change. The final proposed layout is presented at virtual exhibition in October 2020, and will be submitted as a planning application before the end of 2020.
If you have any questions throughout the project's development, please register and use the “Any Questions(External link)?” tab to contact us.
We are proposing a maximum turbine height of just under 150 metres to blade tip. This maximises the output of the turbines without the need to install aviation lighting.
Before we submit a planning application, and in line with Government guidance on Covid-19 restrictions, we will show the final project plan online, in detail, giving the local community a further opportunity to give us feedback or to have any queries answered.
If you have any questions throughout the project's development, please register and use the “Any Questions(External link)?” tab to contact us.
Local Benefits
Yes. If the project is approved and the turbines installed, a community fund will be established to generate funding each year for local community groups and projects.
Based on the project currently proposed (down from 14 turbines to 12 x 3.5MW), this would equate to £210,000 per year (using the Scottish Government recommended figure of £5,000 per MW installed).
We look forward to hearing your ideas about how this funding could be managed and allocated. Let us know your ideas by registering and contacting us.
We have been looking at how our sites could improve broadband in areas where we operate. We have committed to investing in feasibility studies at an early stage across all our development sites in Scotland to assess the potential for this.
As reported in the Northern Times in October 2019(External link), the study for Ackron shows that at least 242 homes could receive improved broadband using fixed wireless broadband.
A local broadband liaison group has been established to explore the opportunities further.