The wind resource in the area is high, demonstrated by operational wind farms in the area. Less than 10% of the land in Scotland is suitable for large-scale wind turbines. However, due to advancements in turbine technology, we are able to build fewer and larger turbines that can generate in excess of 7MW of power each and are more efficient than older designs. Eight of these will be installed at the Meallbrodden Energy Park and will have an approximate combined capacity of 56MW.

The associated infrastructure would include:

• Up to eight wind turbines (up to 200m to blade tip height).
• Bi-facial solar photovoltaic (PV) panels mounted on metal frames, covering up to 35ha.
• A network of onsite access tracks and drainage.
• Crane hardstanding adjacent to each turbine.
• Foundations supporting each turbine.
• Power cables linking the turbines and solar PV panels, laid in trenches underground.
• One permanent and one temporary anemometry mast.
• Up to four borrow pit search areas.
• A substation compound including a control building and approximately 50MW of battery storage capacity.
• Two temporary site construction compounds.

The approximately 50MW of battery storage capacity being considered for the Site would be for load shifting rather than for import / export to the grid.

Based upon the proposed maximum turbine tip height, it is anticipated that the installed nominal capacity of each turbine will be approximately 7MW, giving a total generation capacity from the wind farm element of the proposed development of approximately 56MW.

When combined with the Solar Photovoltaic array's estimated output of 50MW, the combined total generation capacity of the proposed Meallbrodden Energy Park is expected to exceed 100MW.

Based on conservative estimates, it is anticipated that the proposed development would produce approximately 240,024MWh of renewable electricity per annum (based on Site specific capacity factors of 40% for wind and 10% for solar), sufficient to meet the needs equivalent to around 74,104 homes and offset approximately 104,890 tonnes of CO2.

The installation of our wind turbines will follow the below process:

• Construction, widening, and reinforcement (where necessary) of existing on-site tracks.
• Installation of underground cable for the site electrical network between the individual turbines and the site substation.
• Widening, and reinforcement (where necessary) of existing off-site roads.
• Construction of the turbine concrete foundations and hardstanding.
• Turbine components arrive on site via the access route utilising specialist transportation equipment designed to minimise the requirement for road modifications.
• Onsite assembly of the tower.
• The nacelle (the enclosed housing that contains the generating components) is then secured at the top of the tower, followed by the hub which holds the blades. The blades are fixed individually to the hub.
• Cables connections are completed internally and on the site electrical network to the substation.
• Testing and commissioning the turbines.

A Solar Photovoltaic (PV) array is a system of interconnected solar panels designed to generate electricity from sunlight. The array consists of multiple solar PV modules, which are made up of solar cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity using the photovoltaic effect.

There are three types of Solar Photovoltaic arrays:

• Fixed-Tilt Arrays – Panels that are mounted at a fixed angle.
• Adjustable-Tilt Arrays – Panels with a tilt angle can be changed manually.
• Tracking Arrays – Panels with a tilt angle that automatically adjust to follow the sun for maximum efficiency.

BESS is a system that stores electricity in batteries for later use. It helps manage energy supply by storing excess power when demand is low and releasing it when demand is high.