Clune Wind Farm Proposal
RES is progressing proposals for a wind farm located approximately 5.5km south of Tomatin in the Highlands.
The proposed development is for up to 26 turbines with a tip height of up to 200m, and an overall generating capacity of 187.2MW and a battery energy storage system (BESS), rated at 100MW. It is estimated that the wind farm, if consented, would generate the electricity equivalent demand of almost 215,500[1] Scottish homes each year.
RES held consultation events in the Strathdearn Hub and in Carrbridge Village Hall in June 2024 and September 2024. Feedback from the exhibitions and pre-application consultation helped inform the design of the project, including the removal of a turbine and turbines being moved on site to reduce potential visual impacts. A parking area has also been added at the site entrance to open up access to the area for local walkers and cyclists.
If consented and constructed, Clune Wind Farm will displace hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year and will bring a net-positive impact to the local area’s biodiversity. The habitat management plan includes restoration of peat and regenerative woodland planting. The regenerative planting aligns with the Cairngorms National Park “Capercaillie Emergency Plan”, which has set a long-term vision of restoration of pinewood habitat to safeguard capercaillie, with the ambition of an additional 10,000 hectares of natural regeneration by 2045. The proposed habitat improvements adjacent to the Kinveachy forest associated with the Clune project will support this target.
The project includes a Community Benefit Fund of £936,000 (index linked) per annum and RES is committed to the project being a shared ownership if there is interest in the local area. Through the consultation events, there has been some interest regarding RES's Local Energy Discount Scheme (LEDS) scheme, which operates in a number of communities in Scotland and offers an annual discount on the electricity bills of those properties closest to the wind farm.
[1] Calculated using the most recent statistics from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero Strategy (DESNZ) showing that annual GB average domestic household consumption is 3,239kWh (as of January 2024, updated annually).