This uninhabited island, lying to the north and west of Eday and south-southeast of Westray, was bought by Orkney Islands Council in January 2019 for its strategic development potential.
The project consists of six wind turbines of up to a maximum of 149.9 m height from ground to blade tip when vertical with the proposed with a capacity of 28.8MW.
In addition to the turbines, the site could include turbine foundations, crane hard-standings, a new jetty/landing site for bringing turbine components and construction materials onto the island, internal access tracks, on-site access tracks between turbines, underground cabling between the turbines, on-site substation and maintenance building with welfare facility, a temporary construction compound and potential on site borrow pit(s) dependent on the suitability of site-won materials to provide aggregate for the construction of the development.
Two marine licences applications were submitted in 2021 to Marine Scotland’s Marine Licensing Team (MS-LOT) for works below Mean High Water Springs (MHWS), i.e. the installation of improved access to Faray via construction of a new extended slipway and landing jetty. Both licenses are required – one for the construction and one for dredging disposal operations, and are currently awaiting response.
Key facts:
- Faray is approximately 17km northeast of Orkney Mainland, and approximately 25km from Kirkwall.
- The site boundary comprises the entire island, extending to approximately 168hectares and centred on British National Grid (BNG) 352985, 1037250.
- The are no current residents on the island, with the last former residents understood to have left in the late 1940s.
- OS mapping suggests there are several relic structures, former farms and cottages, an old road/track, and a burial ground. A small jetty is located on the southeast coast.
- The coastline is generally defined by rocky cliffs with geos and caves, except on the west coast near the north of the island and on the far southeast coast, where there are stretches of beach.
- Access to the site is currently only achievable by private boat landing at the existing jetty at the southeast of the island.
Challenges & Mitigations
To reduce potential impacts that may arise from the developments, measures will be put in place to mitigate challenges that have been identified through surveys and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The table below summarises some of the proposed challenges and mitigations that may arise throughout the construction and operational phases of the project:
[table id=3 /]
How could turbines be delivered to Faray?
We are still in the early stages of this development with detailed studies to be carried out. We are in discussions with Marine Scotland to determine the best solution between a fixed pier or a temporary floating structure. Our current proposal is two stages:
[table id=4 /]Relevant publications for the Faray Community Wind Farm can be found here.
