Work on a new Scottish onshore wind farm is moving forward after leading renewable energy developer OnPath Energy confirmed the appointment of three key contractors.
OnPath has been working towards commencing construction work on the Mill Rig Wind Farm, which straddles the South Lanarkshire and East Ayrshire border near Darvel, since securing planning permission for the six-turbine project in 2022.
After completing preparatory site investigation work last year, Hamilton-based OnPath has now chosen Glasgow-headquartered R J McLeod to deliver the balance of plant contract, which covers all the required civil engineering work as well as cabling and off-site highway construction.
It has also appointed leading global manufacturer Nordex has been contracted to supply and install N163.5/X turbines with a tip height of up to 200m, while energy consultancy Natural Power, which recently opened a new office in Glasgow, will be responsible for providing construction management services.
Development work is expected to begin on the Mill Rig site before Easter, with the turbines set to be delivered during the autumn. Construction and commissioning work is then scheduled to be complete by spring 2026.
The Mill Rig Wind Farm will have an installed generation capacity of around 33.4MW, which is enough to meet the annual electricity needs of more than 45,000 homes.
An investment of around £91m is being made in businesses and services based within a 60km radius of the site through the project, with around 300 jobs being directly supported by the project during its lifetime, alongside many more in the wider supply chain.
Mill Rig will also see a local community fund established which will deliver up to £167,000 every year to support a wide range of charities and community groups in the surrounding area, or around £5m through the project’s 30-year lifespan.
It will also deliver a £450,000 investment in local training and employment opportunities during the first five years of its operation.
Martin Kellerman, construction director at OnPath Energy, says: “The Mill Rig Wind Farm will bring a wide range of direct environmental, energy security and community benefits to the local area, as well as a £91m investment in the local economy, and will further increase the contribution that OnPath Energy is able to make towards helping Scotland and the wider UK achieve its crucial Net Zero ambitions.
“RJ McLeod and Natural Power have been trusted partners for many years, helping us to successfully deliver several onshore wind farms across Scotland and England, while the Nordex turbines we’ve specified here will be among the most efficient operating anywhere in the UK.
“We’re very pleased to have access to our chosen contractors’ combined expertise as we work towards commissioning the Mill Rig Wind Farm next year and look forward to development and construction work progressing smoothly on site over the coming months.”
OnPath Energy recently added the seven-turbine Pates Hill Wind Farm in West Lothian to its growing portfolio of 12 onshore wind farms, which also includes the Kype Muir Wind Farm, which sits to the south of Strathaven, and the Middle Muir Wind Farm, which is located to the south east of Douglas.
It is expecting to commence the construction of three further onshore wind farms in Scotland – the Mill Rig Wind Farm near Darvel in South Lanarkshire, and Lethans and Lethans Extension Wind Farms near New Cumnock in East Ayrshire – over the next eighteen months, and is working towards securing planning permission for the proposed Bodinglee Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire and the Pond Flexible Energy Park near Bathgate.
OnPath Energy is owned by Brookfield Asset Management, one of the world’s largest owners and operators of renewable power plants, with over 35,000 megawatts of operating capacity worldwide.
For further information and updates on the Mill Rig Wind Farm, please visit https://www.onpathenergy.com/mill-rig/
