Glendye Wind Farm

Glendye Wind Farm

the Proposed Development Site?

The site of the Proposed Development covers 1457 hectares (ha) and is characterised primarily byremote upland moorland, used mainly for grouse estate management and grazing sheep. High ground defines the southern and western boundaries, and the Water of Dye and the Water of Charr, the northern and eastern boundaries respectively. The highest point is located on the south-western boundary, to the east of Tornaflossie, at 529m above sea level. The site also incorporates the main site access track which connects the area where turbines and associated infrastructure will be located, to the public road network on the B966.

The Proposed Development

The main components of the Proposed Development will comprise:

• 26, three bladed, horizontal axis wind turbines, each up to a maximum blade tip height of 149.9m (above ground level), with a total output >50MW;

• external turbine transformers adjacent to each turbine;

• a hardstanding area at each turbine location for use by the cranes erecting each turbine;

• three permanent anemometer masts;

• substation and control building, which will provide site welfare facilities for operational staff;

• a network of buried electrical, telecommunications and control cables linking the substation/control building and turbines;

• three onsite temporary construction compounds and two temporary control compounds;

• drainage works and watercourse crossings;

• up to four temporary borrow pits for the extraction of stone;

• 20km of access tracks and turning areas linking the turbines and the substation/control building within the main site;

• 11km of main access track linking the B966 to the main site, some of which will comprise of upgrading existing track; and

• around 1ha of forestry felling along sections of the main site access track.

The permanent land take from the Proposed Development will be 1.89% of the total site area (27.68ha out of a total of 1457ha). The permanent land take will be limited to the area of the turbines, the hardstanding area immediately around each turbine, the substation and control building, the access tracks linking these elements, the main site access route to the B966 and met mast footprints.

The main site access for all construction vehicles and abnormal loads will be taken from the B966 nearThornyhill. The entrance to the main site access will include a new junction from the B966. A temporary security compound is proposed at this junction to monitor activity in and out of the site during construction and will comprise a manned security cabin and welfare facilities. From the new junction on the B966, the proposed main site access track will run parallel to the unclassified road before turning eastwards through the Wood of Barna, and then north-west to cross the public unclassified road east of Hillhead, where another temporary security compound is proposed. From this point the main site access track will follow an access track which is currently being upgraded by the Fasque Estate from Mains of Balfour to the main site. Some minor amendments to this track will be required.

The turbines will be connected into the wind farm substation via underground cables. At the substation the voltage will be transformed for transmission to the national electricity network. The grid connection does not form part of the Section 36 consent application for the Proposed Development. The consent for the grid connection will be sought by the operator of the local distribution network, SSE-N.

Subject to the granting of Section 36 consent, it is anticipated that the construction of the Proposed Development will last up to 21 months.

The operational life of the wind farm will be 30 years. Following this a decision will be made as to whether to refurbish, remove, or replace the turbines.