The Challenge 

Renewable energy company BayWa r.e. set out to add 14 new wind turbines to the 26-turbine Corriegarth wind farm operating in the Monadhliath mountain range east of Loch Ness, Scotland.  

BayWa r.e. first needed to obtain consent from the Scottish government. This required thorough consultation and a clear consenting strategy due to the site's proximity to environmental sensitivities such as the Loch Ness and Duntelchaig Special Landscape Area, Cairngorms National Park Wild Land Area, and Monadhliath Wild Land Area. 

BayWa r.e. therefore required a consultancy team that could prepare a robust and thorough planning application sufficient to secure approval from the Scottish government.

What We Did 

BayWa r.e. hired ERM to produce an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which is required by the Scottish government. While producing this assessment, ERM was also asked to identify risks to approval, help mitigate those risks, and develop enhancements and other positive impact opportunities where possible.  

The EIA included baseline studies and assessments related to archaeology and cultural heritage, noise, traffic and transportation, hydrology and hydrogeology, geology and peat, shadow flicker, socio economics, civils design, and climate change. ERM also conducted stakeholder engagement and coordinated public consultation events. The scope of work ran from August 2019 to August 2022. 

Visual Impact  

ERM’s EIA included a 3D rendering of the wind farm, allowing the application review council to see clearly what impacts the wind farm would have on the Scottish landscapes. ERM and BayWa r.e. took feedback from the council to optimize the arrangement of the turbines.  

Habitat Restoration and Carbon Reduction 

The site is located on a large, degraded area of peatland that was formerly a blanket bog. The land had been drained and heather was routinely burned to provide an ideal habitat for the red grouse, a bird that is hunted for sport in Scotland. Unfortunately, benefits to the red grouse are at the expense of other plant and animal species, and the degradation of the peatland turned what is normally a powerful carbon sink into a carbon emitter. 

ERM helped BayWa r.e. and the landowner negotiate a new path forward. The landowner agreed to limit grouse hunting to only some areas so that most of the land—equal to the size of 130 football pitches—could be restored to its natural state as a blanket bog. This will be achieved by blocking drainage ditches to raise the water table and “re-wet” the habitat. 

In the 5-20 years that it will take to restore the area to its natural state, locals will witness the return of native mosses, plants, invertebrates, wading birds, raptors, and otters. The area will become more flood resilient and, once again, sequester large volumes of carbon. 

In addition to these benefits, the Corriegarth wind farm will generate funds for conservation of the golden eagle, an iconic Scottish bird. These funds will be used to study and track golden eagles to better understand their biology, behavior, and interaction with their surrounding environment. 

Community Benefits 

The construction of Corriegarth 2 Wind Farm is anticipated to inject an estimated £11 million into the Highland economy.  

Additionally, the project is committed to an annual community benefit payment of over £330,000 over the next 30 years, just under £10 million overall. Funds may be used to support local community groups, voluntary organizations, environmental projects; and sponsor or support sport teams and events.

The Impact 

The Corriegarth 2 Wind Farm was approved in December 2023, about four years after the start of project planning. This planning-to-approval timeline is shorter than most and especially impressive given pandemic-related delays.  

Obtaining this approval was the client’s primary objective, but ERM was able to help the client unlock opportunities to have an outsized positive impact on the surrounding ecology and community. This project will: 

  • Restore 100 hectares of degraded peatland to reduce carbon emissions and improve biodiversity 
  • Generate annual funding for golden eagle conservation 
  • Generate a community fund valued at £10 million over 30 years 
  • Generate enough renewable energy to supply electricity to nearly 50,000 homes, 16% of the population of the Scottish Highlands