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 up to 32 wind turbines and a battery energy storage system (BESS). The proposed development will have a total installed capacity of approximately 274 MW.
A request for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Opinion from Scottish Minsters is being prepared for submission. This seeks a view from Scottish Ministers, with input from relevant authorities, on which environmental issues should be addressed in the EIA which will guide the ongoing development of the project. The findings of the EIA will be reported in an EIA Report which will form part of the Section 36 application for development consent. The EIA process ensures key environmental factors which must be considered during the planning process are identified and creates opportunities to avoid or mitigate potentially significant environmental effects through the design of the project where possible.
Renewco Power is committed to effective consultation with the local community and will be hosting a number of consultation events seeking feedback on the emerging project details in the coming months.
Location
The Ravengill site extends over an area of approximately 3789 ha, 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.
The Project
The project is at the early stages of development and at this stage is anticipated to include:
This current layout has been used to identify the proposed scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the project and an EIA Scoping Request has been submitted to the Energy Consents Unit of the Scottish Government.
Project development
Early engagement with host Community Councils took place in mid-2024 and at that point a layout comprising 30 turbines, up to 125 MW of ground mounted solar PV, and an approximately 50 MW BESS was under consideration. Since then, significant survey and design work has been undertaken to arrive at the current proposed development comprising up to 32 turbines and a 50 MW BESS, including:
•changes to the red line boundary to set development further back from Leadhills village, avoid land impacted by historic mining and to include additional land to the southeast
•removal of solar PV from consideration
•revision of turbine layout in response to findings of extensive survey work including: peat probing, habitat and protected species surveys, bird surveys, historic environment review, transport review, mining risk assessment
• identification of potential access points for component deliveries and general construction, operation and maintenance traffic
Public Consultation
The first public consultation events for Ravengill will take place on Tuesday 20th of May and Wednesday 21st of May at the following locations:
20th May | 3pm - 8pm | Leadhills Hall (35 Ramsay Rd, Leadhills, ML12 6YA)
21st May | 3pm - 7pm | Crawfordjohn Hall (Manse Rd, Crawfordjohn, ML12 6SR)
Members of the public are encouraged to attend the events to find out more, ask questions of the project team and provide feedback.
The consultation banners presented at the events can be accessed here.
You can provide feedback on the project, including ideas on community benefits, via our AssetFace page.
Please provide feedback by the 11th June 2025.
Our AssetFace page can also be used to apply for grants of up to £500 from our Ravengill Small Grants Fund.
The deadline for Small Grants Fund applications will depend on demand, so please apply as soon as you can.
Indicative Development Timescale
9th May 2025
EIA Scoping Request submission
20-21 May
Public Consultation Exhibition 1
Ongoing to Q4 2025
EIA work and associated further studies
Q4 2025
Public Consultation Exhibition 2
Q1 2026
Submission of EIA and S36 application
Q1 2027
Consent Granted
Q1 2028
Discharge of planning conditions
TBC (2035 at the latest)*
Start of construction
TBC (2036 at the latest)*
Start of operation
40 years from start of operation (2076 latest)*
Start of decommissioning
41 years from start of operation (2077 at the latest)*
Target Submission Date for Planning Approval
* Under ongoing reforms to how entry of new connections to the national grid is managed, it is expected that the Ravengill Energy Park will be able to connect to the grid earlier than the 2036 date currently contracted.
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 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.
To support engagement on community benefits, a Small Projects community benefit fund of £5,000 has also been launched to support the use of the AssetFace platform. The Small Projects fund offers grants of up to £500 and is available to support community-led 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.