UK-based onshore renewables development company Wind2 has submitted a planning application for a co-located wind power plant and battery energy storage system (BESS) in the Scottish Highlands.
The developers have asked the Highland Council for consent to construct and operate two turbines with approximately 9.6MW of capacity alongside a 12MW BESS. The project, which is named the Swarclett Wind Farm, is set to be located on agricultural land southeast of Mains of Durran, Caithness. Submission of the application follows an extensive public consultation process held in various stages between July 2023 and March 2024, with feedback from this process informing the final design proposals.
According to Wind2, the project will have significant benefits for the local community in the Highlands, with a community benefit fund worth £48,000 per year being established. Additionally, the developers are proposing a scheme in which residents living nearest the turbine will be offered the opportunity to claim up to £600 per year towards their electricity costs, with the option to put this funding towards decarbonising their properties by installing solar panels, heat pumps, or other similar technologies.
Additionally, planning documents state that the project will deliver a significant biodiversity gain, and the landowners for the proposed development will have the opportunity to diversify and subsidise their existing farming operations by creating sustainable habitats for wildlife by installing ponds and planting trees.
Planning documents have stated the final deadline for a decision on the development will occur in April 2025.
Wind and BESS co-location unusual
While co-locating BESS with solar projects is relatively common, the number of wind projects embracing co-location remains small.
However, some wind-plus-storage developments are starting to crop up. In September last year, ScottishPower Renewables was granted planning consent for a wind, solar and storage development, also in the Caithness area. The Hollandmey multi-source renewable energy project, located just eight kilometers south of John o’ Groats, will host ten wind turbines with a total capacity of 50MW alongside a 15MW solar installation and a 15MW BESS.
