Following the final investment decision by SSE in December 2024, the £400m 208MW Strathy South Wind Farm in the Scottish Highlands is now being built next to the operational Strathy North Wind Farm.

The 35-turbine project is fully contracted through a 15-year Allocation Round 5 (AR5) CfD contract with the Government and is targeting commercial operations in late 2027.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:“Delivering more onshore wind across the country is at the heart of our mission to becoming a clean energy superpower, creating highly skilled jobs, kickstarting growth and protecting households from future fossil fuel price shocks."

SSE is delivering the wind farm as part of its five-year Net Zero Acceleration Programme (NZAP) Plus which will see the low carbon energy company invest in new British energy to help secure the UK’s energy future.

Construction works are being led by RJ McLeod and Danish manufacturer Vestas will supply, install and commission all 35 of its V162-6.2MW turbines earmarked for the project.

When Strathy South enters commercial operations in late 2027, it will have taken two decades to deliver. Proposals to develop a 77-turbine wind farm at the site were first submitted by SSE to the Scottish Government in 2007. Following consultee feedback, the design was improved to considerably cut turbine numbers to 39 to reduce environmental impact, particularly on peatland and birds, with amended plans submitted to the Scottish Government in 2013 and 2014. Following a Public Local Inquiry in 2015, Scottish Ministers consented Strathy South in 2018.

The project faced further obstacles however in 2019 when the closure of Ofgem’s Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) scheme to new onshore wind projects threatened the project’s investability. In 2020, SSE applied to Scottish Ministers to vary the existing 2018 consent with a 35-turbine plan to enable the project to progress. It is this final design, consented in 2021, that SSE is now finally able to take forward to construction.

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