Public invited to Orkney Community Wind Farms drop-in events

The team developing Orkney Community Wind Farms will head out to communities across the county next month and provide updates on the progress of the project.

The wind farms, being developed by Orkney Islands Council, consists of three 6-turbine developments located at Quanterness in St Ola, Wee Fea in Hoy and on the island of Faray.

If the Council decides to proceed with the project, the three sites will contribute nearly 90MW to the new 220MW electricity transmission link between Orkney and mainland Scotland, recently approved by Ofgem.

The series of community drop-in events will take place throughout September, with Council officers and Elected Members on hand to discuss the projects.

Details of the events are as follows:

  • Wednesday 6 September at The Pickaquoy Centre from 1pm – 4pm and again from 6pm – 8pm
  • Wednesday 13 September at the YM in Lyness from 1pm – 4pm and at the North Walls Centre from 6pm – 8pm
  • Monday 18 September at the Eday Heritage Centre from 1pm – 4pm and again from 6pm – 8pm
  • Monday 25 September at the Rendall Community Centre from 2pm – 7pm
  • Tuesday 26 September at the Community Room at Westray Junior High School from 2pm – 7pm

Orkney Islands Council Leader, James Stockan, said: “It’s been some time since the Council has gone out to communities and discussed the wind farm project face to face.

“These events are valuable because it gives people the chance to ask questions and understand why the Council is developing the wind farms, and the potential benefits and opportunities that they could bring to Orkney once operational.

“We encourage anyone with an interest in the project to come along, view the information available and discuss any concerns they may have.”

In addition to the drop-in events, a new website will be launched which will provide details of the project’s development and offer a central point of information.

Currently the Council’s officer team are updating the business model which includes further site investigations and feasibility studies, all of which will be presented to Elected Members next year who will then make the final decision on whether to go ahead with the projects.

Orkney Community Wind Farms shortlisted for prestigious award

Orkney Community Wind Farms has been shortlisted as a finalist in this year’s COSLA Excellence Awards.

The 2023 Excellence Awards are an annual celebration of Scottish Local Government success – celebrating the very best of Scottish Local Government.
The project is one of three finalists in the category ‘Just Transition to a Net Zero Economy’.

All 32 of Scotland’s Councils were invited to submit entries earlier this year with over 200 applications received across five categories.

The proposed project, which consists of three 6-turbine wind farms, has the potential to generate an average real profit of £5.5 million per annum for the Council, which over the 25-year lifespan, would equate to a profit of nearly £138 million.

The wind farms also made an essential contribution to meeting Ofgem’s ‘Needs Case’ of the 220MW transmission cable linking Orkney to the Scottish mainland and will support the vital renewable energy industry in Orkney.

Orkney Islands Council Leader, James Stockan, said: “With over 200 submissions to the COSLA Excellence Awards this year, and only 11 Councils shortlisted, this really is an outstanding accomplishment.

“The Council is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions as part of our contribution towards tackling the climate emergency, and the wind farm project is yet another example of this commitment.

“Without the wind farms, Ofgem would not have approved the new cable which is needed to take advantage of the boundless wind, tidal and wave resources that Orkney has, and unlock enormous levels of low carbon energy.

“If the project is approved by Councillors next year, there will also be major socio-economic benefits for Orkney which is imperative given the Council’s financial challenges. All of these factors have contributed to this project being a finalist at these prestigious awards.

“I’d like to personally congratulate the project’s team on their hard work to receive this recognition and wish them the best of luck at the awards ceremony in September where the winners will be announced.”

The Orkney Community Wind Farms project team will be holding community drop-in events throughout September with dates to be announced next week.

Ofgem approves transmission link for Orkney

Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project takes a step forward with energy regulator Ofgem’s approval of a new electricity transmission link.

This approval follows Ofgem’s public consultation on the proposals of the project and the need for an electricity link from Orkney to the Scottish mainland.

To approve the ‘Needs Case’ for the cable, the regulator required a total of 135MW of renewable generation to justify a 220MW cable installation.

Orkney Islands Council will contribute nearly 90MW through Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project, which made an essential contribution to meeting the ‘Needs Case’.

The Council’s wind farm project consists of three 6-turbine wind farms, each with planning approval, located at Quanterness in St Ola, Wee Fea in Hoy and on the island of Faray.

Since identifying the need for further development to contribute towards a new transmission cable back in 2016, a total of £2.5 million has been spent on developing the project to date.

During the initial site identification and feasibility studies, £575,000 was spent performing an Orkney wide site investigation and evaluation of potential sites. Following this assessment, the Council was able to identify three sites that met the requirements for developing a wind farm project that provided the best chance of securing planning permission and would contribute towards the Needs Case for a new transmission cable.

Following site identification, approximately £1.3 million was spent on progressing the projects through the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and planning consent processes. This included site surveys, preparing EIA documents for the planning applications, and receiving technical advice. This stage resulted in all three sites receiving planning permission from the Scottish Government.

In addition, £60,000 has been spent on requirements needed to progress the wind farms and to meet Ofgem’s Needs Case. This included updating the project’s business case, securing grid applications, and applying for a Contracts for Difference.

Since the beginning of the project £540,000 has been spent on staff costs. 

Currently, the projected costs for the procurement of turbines and construction for all three sites will be in the region £110 million.

The current financial assessment indicates the project would generate an average real profit of £5.5 million per annum for the Council, which over the 25-year lifespan of the project, would equate to a profit of nearly £138 million.

From an economic report that was recently published, a new electricity transmission link between Orkney and the Scottish mainland could be worth at least £371 million to the Orkney economy, rising to £807 million if the wave and tidal energy industry makes use of the cable too.

As well as generating significant income for the county, the projects will also provide an estimated annual payment of £144,000 per project into a ‘location-specific community benefit fund’, for local communities to drive transformational projects of their own.

Orkney Islands Council Leader, James Stockan, said: “We are absolutely delighted with today’s announcement from Ofgem, this is a giant leap towards Orkney achieving our energy aspirations. Once operational, it also opens up opportunities for a number of businesses to expand, increasing employment and boosting our local economy.

“Our projects team has worked diligently to ensure that the wind farm project would meet Ofgem’s conditions. Although a final decision has not been made as to whether or not Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project will go ahead, the potential socio-economic benefits are enormous, and given the Council’s financial challenges alongside the cost-of-living crisis we are all facing, it is essential that we find new ways of generating income.

“The three wind farms will also help us meet not only our own carbon reduction aspirations but contribute to Scottish and UK Government targets too.”

The Council’s officer team are performing further site investigations and updating the business model. These findings will be presented to Elected Members next year who will then decide if the project will proceed.