Muirhall Energy seeks green light for one of UK’s largest onshore wind farms

Muirhall Energy has filed a permitting application with the Scottish government to build its 543MW Teviot wind-solar-storage project. Comprising the 409MW Teviot Teviot (409MW) OnshoreHawick, Scotland, UK, Europe Click to see full details wind farm, 34MW of solar, and 100MW battery storage, the project is due to be located 8km south of Hawick in the south of Scotland.

Following local consultation, Muirhall Energy is now planning to install 62 wind turbines for the project, down from 75 originally planned. 

Nonetheless, if approved, the wind farm is likely to be one of the largest onshore wind farms in the UK, according to Windpower Intelligence, the research and data division of Windpower Monthly.

Muirhall Energy plans to use turbines will range in tip height from 180-240 metres (eight up to 180m, five up to 200m, 38 up to 220m and 11 up 240m). The developer used a 6.6MW turbine as its reference in its Environmental Impact Assessment. 

Therefore, “the indicative output capacity at this stage, based on a typical commercial wind turbine currently available, is in the region of 409MW,” it explained – although it notes this may change as new technology becomes available. 

A tender for turbine supply will take place if the project receives consent, it adds. Construction of the project is expected to take three years.

If the Teviot project is approved, the company is aiming for 10% community shared ownership of the wind farm, using the same model it applied for the 46MW Crossdykes Crossdykes (46MW) OnshoreScotland, UK, Europe Click to see full detailss wind farm in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland in which the community owns a 5% share.

It points out that Crossdykes was one of the first subsidy-free wind farm developments in Scotland and was project-financed. However, while that project “was successfully built, despite the lack of contracts for difference (CfD) subsidies, other projects in less viable environments had to be pushed back”, it stated, indicating it hopes to use the CfD financing route for the Teviot project. “This reinforces the case for the reintroduction of onshore wind as one of the beneficiaries of CfD contracts.”

Muirhall Energy also plans to create a community investment fund worth £7,000/MW (€8,200/MW) of installed wind capacity per year. This translates to over £2.8 million (€3.2 million) a year – or £114.4 million (€134.3 million) over the planned 40-year operational life of the project – to support local communities across Teviotdale. It also plans to set up a £500,000 initial investment fund to help communities during the construction period.

Muirhall Energy has constructed over 110MW of onshore wind projects across the UK to date, with another 330MW either consented or in development and more than 1GW in development, it stated.