Orkney Islands Council (OIC) says “time is running out” for planning permission to be granted for its wind farm project on Faray with a resulting interconnector supplying energy to the mainland generating a potential £6 million annual windfall to the county.
The Faray wind farm is the last piece in the interconnector’s turbine jigsaw with planning permission having been granted for similar projects at Quanterness and Hoy last year.
Decision is ‘critically important’
But with the clock rapidly ticking down before a decision is required in October, OIC has written to the Scottish Government stressing the “critical importance” of a decision surrounding planning permission.
The proposed six-turbine wind farm on Faray is the last part of Orkney’s community wind farm project with the Scottish government calling in the application in September 2021.
Any decision has yet to be determined but the Foray link is a crucial part of electricity generator regulator Ofgem’s “needs case” for a new interconnector between Orkney and the Scottish mainland.
In September 2019 Ofgem published its final decision on the needs case for a new interconnector, setting out that planning permission for 135MW of new generation was required.
This would need to be signed up to a grid connection agreement, as well as pass a financial audit before the end of 2021 in order to trigger the interconnector.
New electricity link from Orkney to mainland could be worth nearly £1.5bn to Scottish economy
This was later extended to 2022 as a result of the delays experienced due to the pandemic.
An independent economic report found a new electricity transmission link between Orkney and the Scottish Mainland could be worth nearly £1.5 billion to the Scottish economy.
In order for Orkney to meet the needs case, the council took a ‘developer approach’, working on proposals for the three 28.8MW sites, with six 150m high turbines on each.
Leader of Orkney Island Council James Stockan told the Press and Journal: “The application has been with the Scottish government for a considerable amount of time and so much opportunity in future hangs on this.”
There are currently around 110MW of projects consented – including Orkney’s community wind farm project sites at Hoy and Quanterness.
Mr Stockan continued: “The only project which has potential to fill the remaining gap and trigger the cable before the end of year deadline is the Faray project – without it the cable simply will not happen.
“In their previous determinations on Quanterness and Hoy, Scottish Ministers quite rightly highlighted the interconnector as being a key factor in their decision – and gave substantial weight to this.
“These projects were successful in the latest contract for difference (CfD) auction round four, which provides a guaranteed price for the electricity produced for 15 years and also contributes to the Ofgem needs case”
We need a decision before October”
– Orkney Council leader James Stockan
“However, the timescales are now tight – the project has been with the Scottish government for close to a year now and we have therefore written to them to ask for urgent action.
“We need a decision on these projects before October – otherwise the future of these critical projects could be in jeopardy.”
The Scottish government noted the reporter is “still working on his report” with recommendations to ministers, who will make the final decision on the development.
Holyrood added as “the case is live” it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits of the proposal at this stage.
