Project Benefits
Peatland Restoration at Giant’s Burn: Providing Lasting Environmental Benefits
Peatlands are recognised as one of the world’s most important carbon stores and provide habitat for unique wildlife. Scotland’s peat soils cover more than 20% of the country, yet over 80% of peatlands are degraded, releasing carbon rather than storing it. We embed the restoration of peatlands at the design stage of our wind farm developments to promote carbon storage and provide opportunity for increased biodiversity. Peatland restoration for our Giant's Burn project is proposed for over 81 hectares (ha).
What is peatland restoration?
Peatland restoration is the improvement or repair of degraded peat bog habitats. Improvements can be achieved a range of ways often including rewetting through the construction of peat bunds and dams, reshaping eroded peat haggs and gullies, and revegetation.
What are the benefits?
As well as carbon stores, peatlands also help to regulate water flow, help to purify drinking water, and provide flood mitigation.
Restoration improves the functionality of peatlands and prevents them from degrading further, allowing them to become a carbon sink.
Why is it needed on site?
Due to grazing pressure and forestry activities, peatland condition within the Giant’s Burn Wind Farm site was considered to be of a modified condition i.e. not in a natural state untouched by land pressures exerted by human activities, and we identified areas which could benefit from improvement. Erosion features such as peat haggs and gullies were noted during field surveys, these areas were mapped out and included as part of the restoration plan.
A detailed “peatland restoration strategy” has been developed by a qualified team of ecologists and hydrologists that provides meaningful improvements to the overall condition of peatland habitats. This has been designed to last beyond the operating period of the wind farm, with some ambitious targets to restore significant areas across the proposed site, leaving a lasting legacy. Whilst it is important to demonstrate the wind farm will offset any impacts caused by the construction of the proposed development, the strategy goes beyond that to restore a far greater area than will be disturbed. Further information on the full enhancement strategy can be found within Appendix 6.5 of the application documentation.
Is this proposed for a large area of the site?
Restoration within the site will include approximately 13 ha reuse of peat, additional 46 ha of peatland restoration techniques and approximately 21 ha of forest to bog restoration.
What are peatland restoration techniques?
The peatland restoration strategy for Giant’s Burn Wind Farm includes a variety of techniques which have been selected to suit the site-specific nature and scale of the identified restoration areas.
Peat cell bunds will be constructed as a method of slowing the flow of water and preventing further erosion. These surface bunds will help to retain water and form small pools.
A forest to bog programme is also included as part of the peatland restoration strategy. This will require the complete removal of unsuccessful forestry. After felling, any residual ridges and furrows will be smoothed to create a flatter ground profile and mimic a natural peatland topography. This method will be used in conjunction with drain blocking to rewet the area.
For areas where bare peat has been identified, a layer of mulch followed by overlying textiles such as natural fibre matting may be used to provide a protective layer and promote revegetation.
Peatlands play a crucial role in providing biodiverse and healthy habitats. At Giant’s Burn, over 81 hectares of site will benefit from targeted peatland restoration. This will bring many environmental benefits designed to go beyond offsetting the impact of the wind farm development, and contribute substantially to enhancing peatland quality for many decades to come.