Fairburn Extension

SSE Renewables is assessing the potential for an extension to Fairburn wind farm, near Marybank in the Highlands.

Project status

The site is located within the Highland Council local authority area and the Marybank, Scatwell and Strathconnon community council constituency.

At present it is proposed that the wind farm would comprise approximately 14 turbines with a height of approximately 200 metres to the blade tip. Each turbine would have an installed capacity of up to six megawatts (MW) which would give an anticipated installed capacity of up to 56 MW.

A request for a scoping opinion from Scottish Government Ministers was submitted for the Fairburn Extension Wind Farm in July 2022. The layout and scale of the proposed development is under consideration, and will be informed by survey and assessment work at the site.

A scoping opinion will allow Scottish Ministers to set out the information that should be included in an Environmental Impact Assessment report. Once this has been received, SSE Renewables will engage in a full programme of consultation with stakeholders, including neighbours and community organisations in the local area.

The request for a scoping opinion is available to view HERE

Next stage

A meteorological (met) mast will be constructed at the Fairburn Extension site to provide detailed analysis of wind conditions and other meteorological measurements, which is critical information on the viability of Fairburn Extension as an operating site.

Representatives from SSE Renewables, and contractors working on our behalf, will conduct further survey and assessment activity ahead of receipt of the scoping opinion from Scottish Government Ministers.

Once an initial understanding of the scope and scale of the Fairburn Extension project has been established, SSE Renewables will contact community organisations and other relevant stakeholders to begin an programme of engagement that will continue throughout the Fairburn Extension project development.