Introduction
Ravengill Energy Park Limited, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Glasgow based renewable energy developer Renewco Power Limited, is bringing forward a new renewable energy development at a site north and east of the village of Leadhills in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The project is called Ravengill Energy Park (Ravengill) and will include wind turbines, solar photo-voltaic (PV) generation and a battery energy storage system (BESS).
The project is targeting the following generation capacities:
· 225 MW Wind
· 125 MW Solar
· 50 MW BESS
These generation capacities are likely to change as the project develops, however these provide a guide to the anticipated scale of generation that can be achieved at the Ravengill site.
The project has a grid connection agreement to connect to the nearby Elvanfoot Substation. It is anticipated that the connection will be made via an underground cable.
The Ravengill project is at a very early stage of development, with an application for Section 36 consent currently programmed to be submitted in 2026. However, as part of its commitment to working collaboratively with local communities, Ravengill Energy Park Limited is undertaking an early programme of engagement with a first consultation event due to take place in August 2024. Further details will be published here in due course.
Location
The Ravengill site extends over an area of approximately 3966 ha of the Leadhills Estate, west, north and east of Leadhills and approximately 1 km southwest of Abington, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The site is centred around co-ordinates 291165 E and 618354 N.
Why here?
· The site is situated close to operational and proposed wind farm developments
· The site can accommodate a renewable energy development whilst avoiding significant direct effects on areas designated for nature conservation.
· The site has very good anticipated wind speeds.
· The site has very good access to the electricity transmission network.
· The site is located close to a concentration of infrastructure along the M74 corridor, providing access for both normal construction traffic and abnormal loads.
Our Proposals
Early work to test the feasibility of development at Ravengill and develop a preliminary layout has included:
· Desk based appraisal of constraints (publicly available data only)
· Strategic assessment of aviation constraints
· Design work to arrive at Layout 1 (initial maximum layout – 37 turbines)
· Commence bird surveys
· Specific studies on Landscape and Visual considerations, Cultural Heritage, Access
· Refinement of design to arrive at Layout 2 (30 turbines)
· Instruction of further technical studies (e.g. Mining Risk Assessment) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
The work completed to date has refined the layout from an initial maximum of 37 turbines (Layout 1) to the current layout of 30 turbines (Layout 2). The design will continue to evolve in response to information gathered via consulting and work commissioned as part of the EIA. Work is ongoing to confirm the location and extent of the solar and BESS parts of the project.
The project has a contracted grid connection to Elvanfoot Substation. It is anticipated that the grid connection will be by underground cable.
Indicative Development Timescale
August 2024
Public Consultation Event
Ongoing to Q4 2025
EIA work and associated further studies
Ongoing to Q4 2025
Progress the design
Q3 2025
Develop the details of the Community Benefits package
Q1 2026
Submission of S36 application (including EIA Report
Why is this project needed?
The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, which amends the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, sets targets to reduce Scotland’s emissions of all greenhouse gases to net zero by 2045 at the latest. Significant additional renewable energy capacity, over and above what is produced today, will be needed to facilitate the decarbonisation of transport and heating as Scotland transitions to net zero.
The wind farm element of the Ravengill project could will be sufficient to power approximately 231,846 homes[1] and will have a significant role in helping the Scottish and UK governments to meet their emissions reduction and net zero commitments. The BESS will also help balance electricity supply and demand on the National Grid.
[1] Calculated using RenewableUK’s methodology. Assumed capacity factor of 38.1% is taken from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) CFD Terms and Regulations Document. Average household consumption of 3.239 kWh is from DESNZ’s latest statistics.
Community Benefit
Ravengill will provide a range of benefits for the local community, including a fund which will deliver direct investment into community projects and initiatives. The fund will reflect Scottish Government best practice guidance and will provide a minimum of £5,000 per MW of installed capacity of wind energy.
In addition to our in-person meetings and events, there will be an opportunity to provide feedback on community benefits via BizGive’s new AssetFace engagement platform. AssetFace will make engagement on community benefits quicker, easier, more collaborative and transparent. A Small Projects community benefit fund of £5,000 will also been launched to support the use of the AssetFace platform. Grants of up to £500 will be available to support a range of local initiatives in the area.
If you would like to get in touch with us in relation to Ravengill please email: ravengill@renewcopower.com
Get in touch
We are interested in engaging with wind and solar asset owners, land-owners, developers and funders.