Musdale Wind Farm Proposal
Located approximately 9km south east of Oban in west Scotland, this proposed onshore wind farm could have up to 26 turbines with a combined capacity of 156MW.
The project is at an early stage, with a detailed Scoping Report submitted to the Scottish Government in November 2020 (setting out the proposed environmental assessment work) and an online consultation held shortly afterwards to introduce the project and gather people’s initial views on the proposal.
We received lots of interest from the online consultation in exploring the potential benefits that the project could deliver. In response to this, we have decided to launch a Community Benefit Consultation Survey. To take part in the survey please click here or scroll down to the ‘Community Benefits’ section below to find out more.
Vattenfall is keen to work closely with the local community on the project and is committed to the very best engagement, but to ensure public safety during the current Covid-19 pandemic this is being undertaken remotely and online until it is safe to carry out face-to-face engagement again.
About Musdale
The proposed site lies approximately 5.5km south east of the village of Kilmore and 9km south east of Oban, within Argyll and Bute, and is a mix of rough open moorland and craggy hills.
Wind farm location map
The red line boundary shows the location of the wind farm proposal.
Musdale has long been identified as having potential for wind power generation, with areas of the site subject to a previous proposal by another developer. Vattenfall has carefully studied these earlier plans, learned from them and is seeking to develop a scheme designed to offer maximum benefit in terms of fossil-free energy generation, community investment, environmental impact and socio-economic opportunities.
In short, Vattenfall proposes up to 26 turbines with a maximum tip height of up to 200m. This would enable Musdale to generate an estimated 425,500MWh, enough to power the equivalent of 118,000* homes.
It is possible that the scheme may reduce in terms of both number and size of turbines as we undertake environmental surveys, reflect on stakeholder feedback, and develop the design.
*https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained
Community engagement
We held an initial online exhibition and consultation, between early December 2020 and the beginning of February 2021, to introduce the project publicly and gather people’s initial feedback on the proposal.
Over 350 people visited the online exhibition and we received a good level of response to the consultation, including a range of one-to-one calls held by the project team to answer people’s questions. This has helped us to identify potential issues, concerns, and opportunities early in the project which can be looked at further as the project progresses – and we are grateful to everyone who took the time to engage with us.
Online Exhibition
To view the online exhibition just click on the link below.
Whilst the closing date for comments at this stage has passed, you can still access the online exhibition (which explains more about the project) by clicking on the link here or on the arrow next to the image above. In addition, if you have any questions or would like further information on the project you can get in touch with the project team by using the contact details at the end of this page.
Community benefits
We are beginning to explore the potential local benefits that could be delivered to the community from the Musdale Wind Farm proposal.
Whilst the project is still at an early stage, we have received lots of interest from the local community in exploring the potential benefits to the local area further. In response to this, we have decided to launch a community benefit survey to begin to gather feedback and ideas from the local community on community benefits, maximising local supply chain opportunities, and the opportunity for shared ownership in the wind farm itself.
If you would like to take part in the Community Benefit Consultation Survey and share your ideas with us on community benefit, local supply chain opportunities or shared ownership, please click on the link here.
The survey launched on Thursday 8th April and the closing date for comments is Saturday 8th May 2021. Paper copies of the survey can be requested by contacting the project team (details below).
The feedback from the survey will be reviewed and used to help inform and shape further engagement on the potential local benefits that could be delivered from Musdale Wind Farm.
For further information on Vattenfall’s approach to community investment please click here.
What’s next?
We are currently in the process of reviewing the comments received in more detail, and this feedback – together with findings from the detailed environmental and technical surveys that we’re undertaking and key consultee feedback – will help to begin to shape the design over the coming months.
A programme of engagement with the local Community Councils, key consultees and relevant authorities is also now underway – and our environmental consultants, RPS, are commencing work on a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment.
We are planning to hold another public exhibition and consultation (hopefully face-to-face in the community, COVID permitting) later this year, to update the community on the design development and listen to people’s feedback. We will provide more information on this webpage nearer the time.
Download the scoping report
Why Wind Power?
Scotland has set its goal to reach net zero by 2045, and renewable energy projects such as this will provide the platform for the decarbonisation of homes, businesses and transport needed to reach this ambition. Onshore wind can make a significant contribution, and we can deploy more powerful turbines than ever before.
Onshore wind is now the cheapest way to generate electricity of any kind. Across the UK, there is already around 14GW of onshore wind built and it is now one of the cornerstones of the UK electricity mix. It is estimated that by 2030, 30GW of onshore and offshore wind will be required to meet our climate targets at the lowest cost to the consumer.
Onshore wind also brings benefits to host communities and the broader economy. We will offer a community investment package in line with prevailing Scottish Government guidance for local communities to invest in the priorities which matter to them. Across the economy, there are many opportunities for Scottish businesses to get involved. Vattenfall estimates that 70% of our onshore wind expenditure has been spent with British businesses, ranging from environmental studies and civil engineering through to site security and catering. If you think your business could supply these projects, please let us know.
Find out more about working in onshore wind by watching this film.
About Vattenfall
Vattenfall is one of Europe’s leading energy suppliers with 20,000 employees. Owned by the Swedish state, for over a century we have worked to electrify society. In the UK, we have been developing projects since 2008, investing more than £3.5billion in enough wind to power 700,000 homes.
Today, Vattenfall is driven by the ambition to enable fossil free living within a generation. Our biggest UK wind farm will be at South Kyle, to the north of Dumfries and Galloway. Construction of this multi-million pound investment will commence later this year, bringing significant economic opportunity to South West Scotland, and heralding a major community investment.
Besides our determination to drive economic opportunity for the region, Vattenfall is committed to enhancing and protecting the natural environment. This will be at the heart of our considerations when exploring Musdale Wind Farm Proposal.
Investing in net zero for a fossil free future.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about the Musdale Wind Farm proposal at this early stage, or would like further information (including hard copies), you can get in touch directly with our project team at musdale.windfarm@vattenfall.com or by phoning them on 01434 611300 or by writing to them as follows:
Musdale Project Team
Vattenfall Wind Power Ltd
St Andrew’s House
Haugh Lane
Hexham
Northumberland
NE46 3QQ
See also
The wind industry is expected to generate thousands of skilled jobs across the UK.
At our wind farms a year round programme of environmental monitoring takes place.
We invest over £2.5mn into the local communities hosting our wind farm projects each year.