A new 100-m guyed lattice mast – one of the tallest in Britain – has been
installed on the site of a new wind farm to be built in Argyllshire.
While the removal of UK Government subsidies for onshore wind in the Rudd
Re-set led to a severe slowdown in new site development, the publication of
the Scottish Energy Strategy – which aims to generate 50% of all energy
demand from renewables by 2030 – and Onshore Wind Policy Statements has
given renewed hope for a post-subsidy resurgence in the wind-ustry.
Consequently, a number of developers are engaging in early-stage site
prospecting ahead of anticipated greenfield development in the future, such
as in this case by the secretive Glasgow-based Force-9 Energy, which aims
to build ‘subsidy-free’.
The site itself for the met-mast is constrained by nearby forest, deep bogs
and steep slopes, while challenging ground conditions consisting of deep
peat and bedrock added a further layer of complexity to the installation.
