Clash Gour wind farm developers EDF Renewables have successfully bid for the Allocation Round 5 for the UK Government’s Contract for Difference
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LOCAL wind farm developers are to receive help from the government to produce affordable energy.
EDF Renewables, who secured planning consent for 48-turbine 225MW Clash Gour wind farm near Forres last year, have successfully bid for the Allocation Round 5 for the UK Government’s Contract for Difference (CfD).
An EDF spokesperson explained that the scheme supports low-carbon electricity generation by providing developers with a stabilised price for their electricity output, protecting them from fluctuating wholesale prices. This incentivises investment and shields consumers from pay support costs when electricity prices are high.
The spokesperson said: “CfD’s incentivise investment in renewable energy by providing developers of projects with high upfront costs and long lifetimes with direct protection from volatile wholesale prices. They protect consumers from paying increased support costs when electricity prices are high. In addition, by making our projects more viable to build and meeting the ambitious targets for climate change, it allows us to be less reliant on fossil fuels.”
EDF Renewables UK and Ireland CEO, Matthieu Hue, confirmed the “positive step” will allow the company to develop projects with more confidence.
He added: “If we are to accelerate towards net zero, new technologies such as offshore floating wind need a head start and to be able to benefit from the future rounds of CfD.”
The Clash Gour site lies around 10km south of Forres and 17km south west of Elgin, on Dunphail and Altyre Estates and Dallas Forest. EFD has started the procurement process in recent months, and will be holding a ‘meet the buyer’ event later this year with local businesses who could play key roles in the supply chain. EDF also intends to hold a public exhibition to give residents the chance to ask questions and meet the Renewables team.
The target date for construction starting is around May 2025, however, there will be works in the area prior to that to prepare roads and infrastructure. The target operation date is 2028.
Clash Gour Holdings (CGH) - a subsidiary of EDF Renewables - held a public consultation on air space change at Forres Town Hall in April.
The spokesperson said: “This related to our work to discharge the conditions on the grant of consent which require us to secure mitigation for the effect of the wind farm on radar systems at Lossiemouth and Inverness Airport. We are now collating the responses we received before making a final proposal for mitigation to the Civil Aviation Authority.”
