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Orkney’s council-owned windfarm gains planning permission from Scottish ministers

Windfarm near Grantown
Orkney Islands Council says the approval is the "final piece in the jigsaw".

Orkney Islands Council has been granted permission to build a six-turbine windfarm.

Scottish ministers approved Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project on Faray earlier today.

Any decision on whether, or not, to go ahead with the project will be subject to separate decisions by the council next year.

Orkney wind farm turbines.
Photomontage of Faray planned wind farm. Supplied by Orkney Islands Council.

The project had been called-in by the Scottish Government for it to make a decision on its suitability, due to its national significance in terms of an interconnector that would be required to take the energy produced onto the National Grid.

 

There are similar developments also under consideration at Wee Fea in Hoy, and at Quanterness, just outside Kirkwall, both of which received planning approval in December 2021.

A planning application for the Faray project was submitted in June 2021.

Needs case

With the Faray project now consented there is just over 135MW of windfarm projects currently consented on the Orkney islands.

The developments have enabled the council to join other local developers in making a case for a new interconnector between Orkney and the mainland.

Formal confirmation from Ofgem that all recommendations have been met is expected in the coming weeks.

Council leader, James Stockan, said: “We welcome today’s announcement by the Scottish Government who in the planning process have clearly understood the potential economic benefits of Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project.

“Planning permission for Faray is the final piece in the jigsaw. It’s been a long road to get to this point, with some hefty delays outwith our control.

“With planning permission now in place and the needs case expected to be met, our project team will now be working to bring further reports to elected members on the next steps.”

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