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.
Proposals are at an early stage, with a detailed scoping report submitted to the Scottish Government in November 2020 stating our intention to conduct an environmental assessment.
In exploring Musdale’s potential, Vattenfall is keen to hear from local communities. Despite the Covid-19 restrictions, we are committed to the very best engagement with communities. To ensure public safety, this will be undertaken remotely and online with face-to-face engagement as soon as it is once again safe to do so.
Online exhibition
Vattenfall will be launching an online exhibition and consultation on Tuesday 8th December (on this webpage) in order to engage with the local community at this early stage in the proposal, understand people’s thoughts, and gather feedback on the proposal as part of the consultation.
The exhibition will provide a variety of information for people to learn more about the project, as well as an opportunity to arrange one-to-one calls with the project team during the consultation period to discuss the project and ask questions. People can also request hard copies of the exhibition information, from the date of the event, by calling 01434 611300.
The event is being advertised in the local media, and the first edition of our project newsletter will be issued to local households towards the end of November in order to raise awareness of the project and upcoming exhibition and consultation.
Anyone wishing to provide feedback should submit their comments in writing to Vattenfall via the online exhibition survey, by email: musdale.windfarm@vattenfall.com or by post to: Musdale Project Team, St Andrew’s House, Haugh Lane, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3QQ.
The consultation closing date for feedback to Vattenfall on the proposal at this stage is Tuesday 2nd February 2021. There will be a further opportunity to comment on the project later in the design development process.
Edinbane Wind Farm, operational since 2010. 18 turbines with a total installed capacity of 41.4 MW.
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.
It 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 117,500* 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
Download the scoping report
News about the project
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.
What’s next?
A programme of engagement with the relevant authorities and key consultees, including the local Community Councils, is now underway. An online exhibition and consultation is also being launched in December (details above) in order to engage with the local community and wider public on the project at this early stage and gather feedback.
Furthermore, our environmental consultants, RPS, are commencing work on a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about the Musdale Wind Farm Proposal at this early stage please get in touch by emailing the project development team directly at musdale.windfarm@vattenfall.com or by contacting the Project Manager, Alison Daugherty, by phone on 01434 611300 or by post:
Alison Daugherty
Senior Project Manager
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.