Plans for dramatic changes to one of Scotland’s first onshore windfarms have been lodged with the Scottish Government.
Fred Olsen Renewables is looking to remove 36 turbines from Windy Standard in the Glenkens and replace them with eight turbines up to 200 metres tall.
The firm first unveiled plans to overhaul the development in 2021 with as many as nine turbines being proposed.
The latest scheme comes after a local consultation with a community benefit fund of more than £7 million also being proposed.
Fred Olsen Renewables has also joined forces with ReBlade to see how parts of the old turbines can be used, with blades potentially being turned into bike racks and bus shelters.
And decommissioned components will be provided to Dumfries and Galloway College to help students get hands on with turbine parts before they enter the workplace.
Senior project manager Julie Aitken said: “Windy Standard Wind Farm has been operating for more than 25 years and was one of the first wind farms to be built in Scotland. It will also be one of the first to be repowered.
“We want our repowering proposals to celebrate this legacy and this includes making sure that our plans lead the way in identifying solutions for the recycling and repurposing of turbine blade materials.
“Our submission to the Scottish Government reflects the extensive stakeholder engagement that we have undertaken. We are pleased by the response our plans have received and we are confident that they can lead the way when it comes to reusing turbine blades in the future – as well as supporting the local economy and playing an important role in Scotland’s net zero transition.”
The plans can be viewed at www.windystandardwindfarm.co.uk and people can submit feedback to communities@fredolsen.com.
