Boralex wins approval for 189 MW U.K. wind extension

Executive Summary

• Boralex Inc. received ministerial approval from Scottish Ministers for the Clashindarroch wind farm extension near Dufftown in Moray, Scotland.
• The approved project involves up to 21 wind turbines and a 50-megawatt battery storage facility, adding up to 189 MW of capacity to Scotland's renewable energy grid.
• The project includes significant community benefit packages, including an annual community fund of up to £693,000, direct energy bill support for local households, and a STEM scholarship fund.

Key Details

• Project Location: West of the operational Clashindarroch wind farm, near Dufftown in Moray, Scotland.
• Capacity: Up to 189 MW total capacity.
• Infrastructure: Up to 21 wind turbines and a 50-megawatt battery storage facility.
• Site Size: Approximately 882 hectares of upland heather moor.
• Community Fund: Up to £693,000 per year (index-linked over the 40-year project life).
• Household Benefits: Direct energy bill support of £1,849 annually and a one-off lump sum of up to £20,000 for home energy efficiency improvements for households within five kilometers of the turbines.
• Education Support: A £45,000 per year Scholarship Fund offering 15 STEM and construction skills scholarships for students from Moray.
• Socio-Economic Fund: Up to £138,000 per year administered by Moray Council for supply chain development, business support, and community wealth building.
• Company Context: Boralex’s total installed capacity reached 3,403 MW as of the date of the release, following the commissioning of a new 100 MW wind farm. The company is developing a portfolio of eight GW in wind, solar, and storage projects.

Notable Quotes

• Esbjorn Wilmar, Vice-President, United Kingdom: "Our company is strongly committed to long-term investment in Scotland as part of our 2030 strategy... This can be seen in the first project in our Scottish portfolio, Limekiln wind farm near Thurso, which represents 29.5 million pounds sterling of construction expenditure in the Scottish economy, of which 8.4 million pounds sterling was spent locally in Caithness."
• Jean-Christophe Dall'Ava, Executive Vice-President and General Manager, Europe: "Securing approval for the Clashindarroch wind farm extension brings us even closer to the leadership position we are aiming for in the United Kingdom, and once again demonstrates Boralex's ability to deliver high-quality projects that meet the significant energy needs of our markets."