Scottish energy company SSE has completed the construction and commissioning of the 228MW Stronelairg wind farm, located near Fort Augustus, Scotland.
Image: SSE’s Stronelairg wind farm. Photo: Courtesy of SSE.
With the completion of this wind farm, SSE stated that its onshore wind capacity has now reached 2.14GW and its total renewable energy capacity (including pumped storage) is now 3.95GW.
This capacity will increase to 4.19GW when the Beatrice offshore wind farm in the Moray Firth is completed next year, but it could be close to 4.03GW, if the company sells 50% of stake in Stronelairg and in Dunmaglass onshore wind farm.
Dunmaglass wind farm is located about 15km from Stronelairg. It was completed early last year and is powered by 33 turbines generating 94MW.
SSE wholesale director Martin Pibworth said: “To have completed Stronelairg ahead of schedule and on budget, despite the additional challenges associated with its altitude and the weather conditions experienced in the winter of 2017/18, is a tribute to the skill and professionalism of the teams that designed, developed and built the wind farm.
“Its completion confirms SSE’s position as the owner and operator of the most renewable energy capacity across the UK and Ireland.”
The Stronelairg wind farm is located on a plateau that is on average 600m above sea level. Its load factor, on a P50 basis, is expected to be around 42% in a typical year, which is claimed to be similar to the load factors of several existing offshore wind farms.
The company has invested a total of £350m for the Stronelairg wind farm, which will be the final wind farm to be accredited under the Renewables Obligation.
In November, SSE announced that it was consolidating the development, operation and ownership of its renewable energy assets in the UK and Ireland under a single entity named as SSE Renewables.
Pibworth said: “Through SSE Renewables, we want to build on our established skills in asset management and large capital project development to achieve future growth and maximise our contribution to the ongoing decarbonisation of the electricity system.”