Slickly wind farm

Slickly Wind Farm is located approximately 8.5 km south of John O’Groats, on land adjacent to the operational Stroupster Wind Farm. The Supplementary Environmental Information (SEI) submitted to The Highland Council represents the final plans for the proposed wind farm. The revised proposal retains 11 turbines: 9 with tip heights of up to 149.99m and 2 with reduced tip heights of up to 135m.

A planning application was first submitted in December 2019, and this revised application is mainly to address consultee responses received in relation to cultural heritage, peat and hydrology. As a result, the tip heights of two turbines have been reduced from 149.9m to 135m and the turbine layout has been slightly amended.

Battery storage is included in the proposal as an integral part of the project. This will allow excess power generated by the wind farm to be stored and released on to the grid when the wind drops.

Commenting on the improvements, Maya Hernes, Project Manager for Statkraft said: “Over the past year, we have carefully reviewed our plans as a result of helpful feedback from consultees. We believe these amendments have resulted in an improved overall proposal, which will bring positive socio-economic benefits to the surrounding communities.

Scottish Government statistics were published this week showing that renewables met nearly 100% of Scotland’s electricity demand in 2020. This is great news - but there is still a long way to go, as roughly a quarter of Scottish energy consumption presently comes from renewables. It is clear that we need more projects like Slickly to help decarbonise our heating and transport systems.”

It is estimated that the wind farm would generate enough electricity equivalent to the demand of over 31,000 homes.

If consented, the project would contribute approximately £231,000 a year through a Community Benefit Fund, equating to over £6.9 million over the lifetime of the project.

It is estimated that during the construction phase, the project will be worth approximately £28.7m to the UK economy, over £7m of which is expected to be retained within the Highland region . Statkraft have a track record of utilising local suppliers on their projects – businesses are encouraged to register on the Local Suppliers page.

Community Ownership is also being offered as part of the project and early discussions have taken place with the local community. Statkraft have commissioned a broadband feasibility study that shows there is potential for the project to bring improved access to broadband, and have actively been exploring this through the formation of a broadband liaison group.

Project Summary:
Turbines: 11 (9 up to 149.9m and 2 up to 135m)
Installed capacity: up to 49.9MW
Operating period: 30 years
Community Fund: £231,000 per year

Met masts on wind farm development sites are common practice, and serve to provide a deeper understanding of the nature of the wind resource on the site.

Download the leaflet including information shown here.

Thank you to everyone who attended one of our events or returned a reply card to give their views as we developed the project.

Exhibitions were held between 3-5 September and displayed a change in design to increase in the overall height of the turbines of 15 metres, with increased output potential.

• Canisbay Village Hall, Canisbay, Caithness, KW1 4YH
• Lyth Village Hall, Lyth, Caithness, KW1 4UD
• Keiss Village Hall, High Street, Keiss, Caithness, KW1 4XB
• Auckengill Village Hall, St Clare Hall, Auckengill, Caithness, KW1 4XP

This project has been in the design stage since 2013 and wind turbine technology has progressed significantly in the six years since the proposal was first drawn up. The increase, from 135m to 149m allows more electricity to be generated from the same number of turbines. This also results in an increase in the community benefit, money that will be spent in local communities near the site.

• Lyth Village Hall, Lyth, Caithness, KW1 4UD
• Canisbay Village Hall, Canisbay, Caithness, KW1 4YH
• Auckengill Village Hall, St Clare Hall, Auckengill, Caithness, KW1 4XP
• Keiss Village Hall, High Street, Keiss, Caithness, KW1 4XB

Statkraft has built its reputation on putting communities first. We want our developments to have a positive and lasting impact on those who live and work in the surrounding areas.

Slickly Wind Farm Community Liaison Group
We have had regular meetings with representatives from the surrounding Community Councils and established a Community Liaison Group (CLG). Members include Dunnet & Canisbay, Bower, Sinclairs Bay and Castletown Community Councils.

The CLG provides a forum where local community representatives can feedback valued opinions on all aspects of the project and receive updates on the proposed development.

We would like to thank all the members of the CLG who have given their time throughout the planning process to discuss the evolving plans and give their input on our public engagement activity.

Statkraft is committed to continue the engagement and dialogue with all involved and will update the surrounding communities as the development continues to progress.