New Wind and Energy Storage Projects Announced for Scottish Highlands

This week SSE have begun construction on a new onshore windfarm near Inverness. The Aberarder wind farm will comprise of 12 turbines with an overall capacity of 50MW and is expected to power around 60,000 homes once fully operational in 2026. In its first year, the farm is also expected to prevent 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from being released into the atmosphere.

The project has required a £100 million investment from SSE, highlighting that the cost of renewable energy projects remain high. Nevertheless, this project will play an important role in helping Scotland to meet its net zero targets.

Further North, in Caithness and Wester Ross, two key battery storage systems have also been proposed. These projects are still in the early stages, with planning applications awaiting a decision from the Council.

If given the go-ahead, construction of these battery storage sites would allow storage of up to 200MW power from nearby wind farms and hydroelectric plants, so that excess energy can be stored and then released when demand grows.

Find out more about how these projects can help the global energy transition with the Renewable Energy Institute’s accredited courses. You can study both Wind Power and Energy Storage as part of the Green Energy Consultant Expert Certificate, a great place to start for those pursuing or advancing a career in the renewable energy field.

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Sources:
https://www.energylivenews.com/2024/08/06/new-sse-wind-farm-to-power-60k-homes/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4ngn020g7po