Plans in hand for three wind farms that will power 150,000 Scottish homes
“New onshore wind farms will create jobs, improve security of energy supply and help reduce consumer electricity bills in the long term”
Plans are in the pipeline for three new wind farms that should meet the annual electricity needs of some 150,000 homes.
Renewables developer OnPath Energy said it was progressing its plans to invest as much as £1 billion in southern Scotland over the next five years by partnering with Wilson Forest Products on a trio of onshore wind farms in South Lanarkshire.
OnPath has entered into an option agreement with the family-owned Scottish firm for the Bankend Rig II, Bankend Rig III and Hawkwood Wind Farm projects. The two firms have previously worked together on the development of OnPath’s nearby Mill Rig Wind Farm, which is adjacent to the three projects and expected to be fully operational later this year.
The three planned wind farms include a total of 18 turbines with a combined capacity of 121 megawatts (MW), which is sufficient to meet the annual electricity needs of an estimated 150,000 homes, OnPath noted.
The option agreement gives the group the right, subject to certain project milestones and conditions being achieved, to acquire a majority stake in the three wind projects.
Planning consents for the Bankend Rig II and Bankend Rig III facilities were secured by Wilson Forest Products in 2025, with the Hawkwood Wind Farm proposal recently being approved by South Lanarkshire Council, subject to concluding satisfactory legal agreements.
The three wind farm sites lie to the south west of OnPath Energy’s Kype Muir Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire.
Robin Winstanley, sustainability and community director at OnPath Energy, said: “These three projects are in an area we know well and are of the highest quality. Together with the excellent Wilson Forest Products team, we have the expertise required to take them on to construction and commissioning.
“When this agreement is concluded it will take our presence in southern Scotland to over 500MW, which reflects our confidence in the sector and the region as a renewables powerhouse, exporting energy across the UK and generating hundreds of Scottish jobs.
“New onshore wind farms will create jobs, improve security of energy supply and help reduce consumer electricity bills in the long term. Working together with partners in the region, we will invest hundreds of millions of pounds directly into local communities through the robust supply chain of excellent local businesses.”
Stuart Beattie, director at Wilson Forest Products, said: “OnPath Energy is a well-respected renewable energy developer with an impressive track record in Scotland and a clear strategy for increasing its investment in both South Lanarkshire and the wider Scottish economy.
“We have a long and successful working relationship with the OnPath Energy team, with a proven history of bringing forward successful projects like Middle Muir and Kype Extension wind farms.
“This agreement builds on that success, they know our community well, the additional resources and expertise they will bring to these projects will enable them to be delivered with maximum efficiency.”
OnPath Energy, which is owned by global investment firm Brookfield Asset Management, acquired the Pates Hill Wind Farm in West Lothian last year and is expecting to bring forward several major new development proposals in England this year.
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