SSE Renewables will build its first subsidy free onshore wind project in the Scottish Highlands.
The developer will pursue the 47MW extension of its existing 70MW Gordonbush project, which is located 12km north of Brora.
The expansion will see 11 new turbines installed next to the original 35 turbine site.
The merchant project is one of only a handful to get the green light in Great Britain since the government halted supports for onshore wind in 2015.
SSE Renewables managing director Jim Smith cautioned that merchant financing was only available to the most attractive projects and called on the government to provide some form of revenue stabilization to facilitate future development.
“Onshore wind is the cheapest form of low carbon generation and brings jobs and investment to rural communities. Yet despite the climate emergency, onshore wind construction is at the lowest it has been in a decade,” he said.
“We urge the UK Government to ensure onshore wind can be developed at the pace and scale set out by the Committee on Climate Change by providing investors with more certainty over the income they will receive for generating zero-carbon power in the longer term.”
Smith said accelerating onshore wind development was a potential “quick win” for the Government, which is looking at set out plans to meet net zero targets in the run up to COP26 in Glasgow this year.
SSE has appointed Scottish engineering firm RJ MacLeod to tackle civils and cabling work at the 47MW project and said it will use Highlands and Islands Open4Business platform and host Meet the Buyer events to help get local companies involved.