Proposal for 178MW Scottish Highlands project

UK: Investment group the GFG Alliance has proposed building a project comprised of up to 54 turbines with a total capacity of up to 178MW.

by Craig Richard 6 September 2017

The 349MW Clyde project is Scotland's largest onshore wind farm (pic credit: SSE)

The project at Glenshero in the Scottish Highlands would cost up to £170 million (€185 million) and could be built subsidy-free, GFG said.

It would provide renewable energy for GFG’s aluminium smelter and alloy wheels factory at Fort William, owned by subsidiary Liberty, and its steel mills in Lanarkshire.

The proposed site, on the eastern edges of the Cairngorms National Park, is owned and managed by GFG subsidiary Jahama Highland Estates.

Simec Group, an energy company which is part of , would develop the Glenshero project, while industrial metals company Liberty, could provide the steel for the turbines’ towers, the alliance suggested.

GFG plans to submit a planning application to the Highland Council next year following consultation with the local community and stakeholders in the project.

Jay Hambro, chief investment officer for the GFG Alliance and chief executive of SIMEC Energy said: "It would be built in an environment of zero subsidies, using steel rolled and finished in Scotland and then generate clean energy to support the Scottish metals industry."