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.
About The Developer
Statkraft is Europe's largest generator of renewable energy. The company recently announced a commitment to invest an expected £650 million in Scotland over the next five years. You can read more about us here
Statkraft own and operate Baillie Wind Farm(External link) located to the west of Thurso. It has been operational since 2013 and consists of 21 turbines.
Project Overview And Timeline
We are continually searching for suitable wind farm sites across Scotland; part of this search included looking at our existing sites to add extensions to these. Indeed, Scottish Government policy points developers towards extending existing sites.
Our project is a different proposal to Clash Gour. That project is nearby, and is being proposed by Force 9 Energy & EDF. Ours is a smaller project, for 9 turbines. See map of site layout.
The map here shows a proposed layout located to the east of the existing Berry Burn Wind Farm. The original scheme proposed 10 turbines and that has been reduced to nine as more studies were completed.
We are proposing a maximum of 150 metres to blade tip. This maximises the output of the turbines without the need to install aviation lighting. We would be happy to discuss this with you.
If you have any questions about the project, please use the “Frequently Asked Questions".
The best indicator for the height is to look at the Rothes2 wind turbines, which are up to 125m tall to blade tip.
The tallest turbines currently built in Scotland are at Crossdykes wind farm, Dumfries and Galloway with a tip height of 176.5m, however Kype Muir wind farm recently began construction in South Lanarkshire which will have a turbine tip height of 200m.
The closest residential property to the extension is over 3.5km (greater than 2 miles). There are fewer than 20 residential properties within 4km of the nearest turbine (operational or proposed). The turbine layout included in the application means the nearest turbine to Dallas is now over 6km away.
Yes, there is a met mast on the Berry Burn Wind Farm site measuring the performance of the operating turbines.
We may have to install a met mast on the extension site in the future but there are no plans to locate one on the extension site at the moment.
At the moment the proposed plan shown in our application is what we think is possible on this site.
Radars at Lossiemouth impact on the ability to place turbines on the north of the site. There may be a technological solution to this at some stage, but with no solution currently available we are not proposing turbines in that area.
There are various factors which mean we can't give an exact answer to this question. As a general guide it could be operating by 2023 if it is approved.
For a wind farm of this size, the construction period typically lasts around 12 to 15 months.
No, the project did not receive planning consent at that meeting. As the combined output of the proposed Berry Burn Wind Farm Extension and the operational Berry Burn Wind Farm is greater than 50MW the proposed extension is considered to be a Section 36 application, not a planning application. That means that the Scottish Ministers will make the final decision on whether to grant consent to the extension or not. Moray Council is a consultee, not the final decision maker.
The decision not to object by the Moray Council planning authority will be considered alongside other consultee responses including those from bodies such as SEPA and NatureScot before a final decision is made by Scottish Ministers.
No, the plans have not changed since the application in August 2020. The proposal is still for 9 wind turbines up to 149.9m in height.
At the request of Moray Council, an additional wireframe (an outline of turbine visibility from a particular location) was provided from the Cottage Road, near Knockanrioch, a map of the location is shown on Figure 1c – Location Plan in the SEI download, which can be found in the Planning application documents.
This was provided to the Moray Council Planning Department ahead of the Planning Committee meeting in March 2021 to aid their consideration of the application.
As this information was new and not provided in the original Section 36 application it was necessary to advertise this new information and allow members of the public and other stakeholders to comment upon the new information provided.
Potential Impact
There are strict noise limits we have to adhere to, and monitoring takes place after construction to ensure the project stays within these limits.
Working with Moray Council’s Environmental Health Section we have assessed the potential noise impacts. The results of all studies are available to view in the application which can be reviewed in the Project documents.
Ongoing monitoring at Berry Burn Wind Farm provides extensive knowledge of the ecology although wildfires during the summer of 2019 resulted in some extra work being completed to assess the impact of this. Independent experts have completed surveys and we are working with NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage). The application includes an outline Habitat Management Plan (HMP) to help deliver environmental benefits across the site throughout the operational period. The HMP includes measures to rewet habitats within the site which will also help to prevent future wildfires. The outline HMP can be viewed in Technical Appendix 10.3 located in the Project documents. Our aim is to deliver increased improvements and show a biodiversity gain.
We are very aware of the need to minimise the impact on local residents during construction. It is proposed to use the same route that was used for the construction of Berry Burn Wind Farm. Due to larger turbine components, certain sections of the route may require widening. Further information can be seen in Chapter 13 and Technical Appendix 13.1 of the submission documents which can be seen Planning application documents.
No commercial forestry will be removed which minimises the potential traffic disruption.
No. The turbines proposed will be less than 150m tall, therefore aviation lighting will not be required.
Our calculations on the final layout show that the nine turbine extension would generate the equivalent to the average annual consumption of over 35,500 homes.
Due to the rapid advances in turbine technology, nine additional turbines would produce significantly more electricity than the output of the existing turbines.
Local Benefits
We have an onsite maintenance team based in Forres to manage Berry Burn already, however the biggest opportunity to bring local jobs is during the construction phase.
Statkraft always endeavours to be a good neighbour and when bringing new investment to the community, we look at how we can share the economic value of our projects. As such, we are talking to business groups such as Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Moray Chamber of Commerce to understand the mutual benefits of using local suppliers. We think local suppliers nearest to our projects deserve to benefit first and foremost. Please fill in the Local suppliers if you are a local company interested in being a supplier, or if you would like to suggest a company we could contact.
We would like to hear your ideas as to how our project can foster economic enterprise.
Yes. We commit to a community benefit fund based on the Scottish Government recommended amount, which is £5,000 per MW installed.
The 29 wind turbines at Berry Burn Wind Farm currently generate over £170,000 annually to the Berry Burn Community Fund and some amazing projects and causes have already benefited from this. Visit www.berryburncommunityfund.co.uk(External link) for more information on the existing fund and how to apply.
We look forward to hearing your ideas about how additional funding could be managed and allocated, you can let us know your ideas Get in touch.
Since the Berry Burn Wind Farm started operating in 2014, the Fund has delivered over £1.2 million to date, with almost £40,000 being delivered locally so far in 2021. Communities are invited to apply for funding, and funding awards are made three times a year.
More information can be found at www.berryburncommunityfund.co.
Commenting on the Application
The proposed development is an extension to the operational Berry Burn Wind Farm. Combined, the potential electrical capacity of both developments is greater than 50 megawatts. The proposed development is therefore subject to the consenting procedures set out in Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, meaning such applications must be made directly to Ministers of the Scottish Government.
This is a Section 36 application and will be determined by Scottish Ministers. The Energy Consents Unit will administer the application, and representations can be submitted electronically at www.energyconsents.scot(External link) or by email: representations@gov.scot quoting reference number ECU00000718.
The representation period has now ended however the Energy Consents Unit may still accept comments at their discretion.