ScottishPower Renewables' Hollandmey project receives consent

ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) has received planning consent for the 65 MW Hollandmey hybrid renewables project located approximately 8 km southwest of John o’ Groats and 16 km east of Thurso, situated within the northeast of Caithness in the Scottish Highlands.

The scheme will comprise 10 turbines delivering 50MW of onshore wind capacity, a 15MW solar array, and 15MW of battery energy storage capacity providing enough green electricity for around 40 000 homes. 

SPR submitted a proposal in November 2021 for a development consisting of 10 wind turbines, each with a blade tip height of up to 149.9 m, with a generating capacity of around 50 MW. The project also includes about 15 MW of ground-mounted solar arrays, producing a total output of around 65 MW, along with a 15 MW battery energy storage facility. In March 2023, the application was referred to the Scottish Government's Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA), followed by a Public Local Inquiry (PLI) in October 2023, focusing on Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA), energy policy, and planning conditions.