50th and final wind turbine foundation poured at South Kyle Wind Farm

RJ McLeod based in Glasgow, is leading the operation along with Foundation Solutions HV a specialist foundation contractor based in East Ayrshire.

The completion of the final foundation marks a change in the emphasis of the works onsite, which now turn to the electrical works.  Over the coming months 72km of 33kV cable will be laid and work will continue at the new South Kyle substation and on the grid connection. 

Civil works will now focus on finishing the foundations and environmental restoration of the areas where rock has been extracted for use at the site as well as preparing the access route and site for wind turbine deliveries which are scheduled to commence in Spring 2022.

South Kyle Wind Farm is set to be fully commissioned and producing electricity from Spring 2023. Once energised it will be generating enough electricity to meet the equivalent demand of approximately 170,000 UK homes¹ annually, more than all of the homes in East Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway combined.

Paul Nickless, Vattenfall’s Project Director for South Kyle, said:

“Reaching this important milestone eight months ahead of schedule is a great achievement and the result of lots of hard work from all of our contractors including RJ McLeod and Foundation Solutions HV, who are based just a few miles from South Kyle. 

“What they have managed to achieve, despite recent materials and driver shortages as well as the ongoing pandemic, is extremely impressive.

“It’s exciting to think that by 2023, South Kyle Wind Farm will be generating fossil-fuel free power and making a significant contribution to Scotland’s net zero goals.”

Notes 

¹ https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDSearch

Number of homes: East Ayrshire: Local Housing Strategy 2019-2024 (east-ayrshire.gov.uk)

Dumfries and Galloway: Dumfries and Galloway Council Area Profile (nrscotland.gov.uk)