EDF Renewables begins work on the Stranoch wind farm

Over the last 12 months, EDF Renewables UK has been preparing roads around the Stranoch wind farm ahead of construction.

Located between New Luce and Barrhill, the 20-turbine plant will have a capacity of 102 MW when operational.

Some of the electricity produced by the wind farm will be purchased by major retailer Tesco, and the clean energy produced from the power supply will be the equivalent of more than 80 medium-sized supermarkets a year. Another part will be purchased by BAE Systems and will provide clean energy to meet approximately 40% of the UK’s current energy demand, supporting major technology programs including the production of Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy in Glasgow. Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs) have been facilitated by EDF Business Solutions and a third CPPA covering the remainder of electricity generation will be announced shortly.

EDF Renewables UK is working closely with local stakeholders and residents to minimize the impact as much as possible, and this regular dialogue will continue as the project gains momentum. Where possible, the company prioritises working with Scottish and local businesses, including RJ MacLeod, the building contractor, who completes the preliminary works and uses a local quarry to produce the stone.

The family company I&H Brown has been awarded the contract to perform engineering works during the construction phase, and Vestas will supply and install the wind turbines – 9 x V150-6.0 MW; 7 x V136-4.5 MW; 4 x V117-4.3 MW. Powersystems UK will carry out the electrical works on site, from installation to testing and commissioning of the high voltage electrical infrastructure and control building.

Construction of the wind farm, which is scheduled to be commissioned at the end of 2026, began earlier this week. Once launched, over £500,000 per year will be donated back to local projects and initiatives. With a minimum lifespan of 30 years, this means at least £15 million returning directly to the local area through the dedicated Community Benefits Fund.

“At a time when the fight against climate change and energy security is at the forefront, EDF Renewables UK is pleased to have achieved this important milestone at Stranoch,” said Matthieu Hue, chief executive of EDF Renewables UK. “We are delighted to be working with Tesco on another project in Scotland to help the company decarbonise its retail portfolio and we look forward to working with BAE Systems for the first time on such a project.

Under the CPPA agreements, EDF Business Solutions will provide Tesco and BAE Systems with balancing and power shaping services*, as well as including energy in supply agreements and enabling the transmission of energy from the wind farm to both companies.

Corporate power purchase agreements allow companies to purchase electricity directly from an energy developer and from a specific location, providing certainty about where renewable energy is coming from.

“These two corporate PPAs will leverage EDF’s unrivaled energy market knowledge and expert commercial capabilities to facilitate the transfer of energy to both Tesco and BAE Systems, ensuring access to affordable clean energy. It’s great to see two strong and successful UK companies supporting the construction of large renewable assets and making such major commitments to achieve net zero,” said Matthew Nunn, director of EDF Business Solutions.

More news and technical articles from the global renewable energy industry can be found in the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global Spring 2024 issue

The Spring 2024 issue of Energy Global begins with guest commentary from Field on how battery storage can serve as a viable solution to reduced energy consumption, before moving on to a regional report by Théodore Reed-Martin, editorial assistant at Energy Global, looking at the state of renewable energy sources in Europe. This issue also includes a number of technical articles on electrical infrastructure, turbine and blade monitoring, battery storage technology, coatings and more.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/29052024/edf-renewables-commences-work-on-stranoch-wind-farm/