Who is RES?

RES is a British company with headquarters in Hertfordshire. It is the world’s largest independent renewable energy company, working across 24 countries and active in wind, solar, energy storage, green hydrogen, transmission and distribution. As an industry innovator for over 40 years, RES has delivered more than 27GW of renewable energy projects across the globe and supports an operational asset portfolio exceeding 41GW worldwide for a large client base.

From our Glasgow office RES has been developing, constructing and operating wind farms in Scotland since 1993. We have developed and/or built 22 wind farms in Scotland with a total generation capacity of 660MW and currently operate over 550MW of wind farms across the country.

Where will the wind farm be?

The proposed wind farm is located approximately 2km east of Tayinloan and is set within a commercial forestry plantation and open rough grazing for livestock. You can see a site location plan here.

How many wind turbines will there be?

The proposal has been through several design iterations since it first became public in August 2023, and now stands as a 9-turbine, 59.4MW scheme with tip heights of 180m. Significant design changes have been made since the original 12-turbine layout in response to survey work and consultation feedback. 

Why here?

The site was chosen because it has good wind resource, few ecological constraints, straightforward access and is close to a viable grid connection. It is also identified in the Argyll and Bute Council Local Development Plan as being an area with potential for wind farm development.

What stage is the project at?

Following detailed site survey work and public consultation, we have now arrived at a final 9-turbine 59.4MW design and this was submitted to Scottish Minsters for consent under the Electricity Act 1989 in August 2024. 

A statutory consultation period will be advertised and held by the ECU and to enable the public, as well as key consultees, to submit formal representations on the proposal. These comments will then be assessed against the proposal and a determination made by Scottish Ministers in due course. 

What would the wind farm look like?

A Landscape and Visual Assessment (LVIA) has been undertaken for the proposed wind farm to consider any likely significant landscape and visual effects.

The findings from this work, together with visualisations, are set out in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) which can be found here. 

How will you ensure the wind farm doesn’t impact the wildlife in the area?

Protecting and minimising any potential direct or indirect impacts on local wildlife and their habitats is of utmost importance and we take this responsibility seriously. A wide range of ecological and ornithological studies have been undertaken as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment work. If the wind farm is consented, a Species Protection Plan will be implemented during the construction phase to ensure that relevant wildlife legislation is adhered to. Furthermore, a Biodiversity Ecological Management Plan will be developed to improve the biodiversity already found on the site beyond offsetting any potential loss of biodiversity from the development. To view the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and survey findings please click here. 

What about the scheduled monuments on the site?

We understand the importance of minimising significant effects on cultural heritage and archaeological assets from wind farms. As a first step, we have implemented a 250m buffer from scheduled monuments on the site and other suitable measures for mitigating direct and indirect impacts will be implemented following feedback from consultees. We have also met with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to agree final assessment viewpoints prior to us submitting our application.

Will the wind farm be noisy?

Survey work has assessed background noise levels at selected properties in the local area, in agreement with Argyll and Bute Council's Environmental Health Officer. These studies have informed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which includes an assessment of the impact of operational (and construction) noise in accordance with the relevant guidance (including ETSU R 97) and ensures the proposal is within mandatory noise limits.

These limits will be agreed with the regulatory authority, and the site will be required to comply with these strict noise limits set within planning conditions.

How will you get the turbines to the site?

Turbine deliveries are a key phase in the construction of any wind farm. We expect the wind turbines to come from Campbeltown port on the A83 accessing site from the south-east. We have undertaken Swept Path Analysis, pinch point and traffic volume analysis to assess route options and help minimise any potential impacts.

To view further information regarding traffic and transport considerations within the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) please click here.

Do wind farms affect property values?

Queries are often raised in relation to the potential of wind farms to impact upon the value of house prices as there can be a perception that there must be a negative effect on house prices. Property value is subjective and can be affected by a range of factors. There is no firm evidence on whether UK onshore wind farms do or do not affect house prices, this is further evidenced from various studies on the same topic having starkly different results. We are aware of residents close to other renewable energy projects, who enjoy having renewable energy projects close by and believe that they add value to their community.

Why onshore wind?

We are in a climate emergency, cost of living crisis and also seeking to enhance the security of our energy supply. Onshore wind can address all of these.

Wind energy is a free and inexhaustible resource that has an important role to play as part of a balanced energy mix. It increases energy security by reducing our reliance on imports and builds our resilience to sudden price fluctuations and the uncertainty of global markets. It can be quick to build and the carbon payback time is usually within 1-3 years.

Onshore wind, alongside other renewable technologies, can generate the cheapest form of new electricity generation.

Don’t we have enough wind farms in Scotland as a whole now?

The Scottish Government is committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 at the latest.

The transition to net zero means that our demand for green electricity will increase substantially over the course of the next decade. This means that a consistently higher rate of onshore wind, and other renewables capacity, will be required year on year.

Onshore wind added £2.4 billion to Scotland’s economy in 2019 and employs over 8,700 people.

How will the local community benefit from the proposed Killean Wind Farm?

RES seeks to be a power for good in the communities that neighbour its projects by working openly and constructively to ensure tangible local benefits.

Some of the most direct and meaningful benefits that can be delivered from a wind farm proposal like Killean are jobs and employment for local businesses and contractors, in addition to the use of local services and amenities, all of which can generate a significant amount of inward investment within the area. The Killean Wind Farm, if consented, is predicted to deliver around £5.9 million of inward investment in the form of jobs, employment and the use of local services during development and construction.

We also believe that onshore wind should provide direct, lasting benefits to local communities. RES is proposing a tailored package of benefits for the community from the Killean Wind Farm that would be worth £5,000 per megawatt (or equivalent) of installed capacity per annum. This package could include RES’ innovative Local Electricity Discount Scheme (LEDS). LEDS has been developed in response to research and feedback from local communities around RES' operational wind farms. LEDS offers an annual discount to the electricity bills of those properties closest to a participating wind farm and there is no need to change energy provider. The scheme would be open to all residential, business and community buildings with an electricity meter (including schools, places of worship and village halls) within the eligible area.

As part of our consultation, we have asked the local community and stakeholders for feedback on their priorities and aims for the local area that will inform the community benefit package, and that will help to secure long-term economic, social and environmental benefits.

Will you offer shared ownership?

RES is interested to understand whether there is any appetite from the community in exploring the opportunity of shared ownership in the wind farm. RES has also held initial positive discussions with the East Kintyre Renewable Energy Group, regarding the potential opportunity of shared ownership in the wind farm, which will continue post-submission.

If shared ownership is something that interests you, please contact us. Local Energy Scotland is the independent body that manages the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). To find out more about the scheme visit: https://localenergy.scot/hub/shared-ownership/

What happens next and how do I have my say?

The proposal has now been submitted into planning and a statutory consultation period will be advertised and held by the Scottish Governments’ Energy Consents Unit (ECU) to enable the public, as well as key consultees, to submit formal representations on the proposal. These comments will then be assessed against the proposal and a determination made by Scottish Ministers in due course. 

To find out more about the planning submission and how to comment on the proposal please click here.