Construction of North Lanarkshire wind farm to get underway

EDF Renewables’ Burnfoot Hill wind farm

CONSTRUCTION of the West Benhar Wind Farm in North Lanarkshire is to get underway in March, EDF Renewables has confirmed.

The project secured planning consent for some design changes in September last year. These included an increased blade tip height from 138.5m to 149.9m which the firm said will allow for greater electricity generation, and an increased operational life from 25 years to 30.

The planning permission allows for the build of 8 turbines, but EDF Renewables said it will only build seven turbines due to advancements in turbine technology meaning that fewer are needed to fulfil the generating requirements on the site.

Scottish firm I and H Brown will oversee the construction work, which will include the building of the foundations and substations. EDF Renewables said it expects the project to take up to 15 months to complete.

Stelios Christodoulou, construction project manager at EDF Renewables, said, “We are excited to get work under way, this project is an important addition to our portfolio of onshore wind developments. Not only will it accelerate our journey to a net zero future but it shows our commitment to investing and growing in Scotland.”

“We will be engaging with the local communities in the coming months to keep them up to date with the project and discuss both the community fund and opportunities for community investment.”