Construction at Innogy’s planned 50MW Glen Kyllachy wind farm in the Scottish Highlands is suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Innogy said it had been ready to start turbine foundation work this month on the twenty-machine merchant wind farm but decided to close the site on 24 March in line with Scottish guidance as a lockdown began.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called for all, except “essential”, construction sites to close.
A spokesperson for the company said: “The site will remain closed until such time as the official guidance changes.
“Clearly, this will have an impact upon the project, however, at this stage, we are not anticipating a delay to turbine erection or energisation of the grid connection.”
She added: “Thanks to favourable winter conditions, we have made good progress on site through March, constructing up to 70% of the access tracks, and preparing the platform necessary for the construction of the substation.
“By taking advantage of the mild winter, we are in a good position with regards to the construction programme.”
The project is set to come online in the second half of 2021 and Innogy has agreed a sale to Greencoat on completion. RJ McLeod is acting as principle contractor for the project, located south of Inverness.
Elsewhere in the Highlands Irish developer ESB says it has paused site surveys for the proposed up-to-100MW Chleansaid wind farm. The development, currently in scoping, would feature up to 20 turbines with a tip height up to 200 metres and is situated 13km north east of Lairg.
A spokesperson said: “With the evolving COVID-19 situation, ESB is following UK and Scottish Government advice and has paused site surveys for the time being while continuing desk-based studies to progress the proposals.”