The New Challenge – The Giant´s Burn Wind Farm Proposal

The current Giant´s Burn Wind Farm proposal being promoted and prepared by a Norwegian, Government owned company named Statkraft, for the construction of 9 monstrous wind turbines, each 200m (650 ft) high, with a total generating capacity of about 65 megawatts, to be installed on approximately 875 hectares of Forestry Commission land on the hill-tops above the Dunoon area (See the Maps page of this website for details.).

This project is proposing to install by far the tallest wind turbines of any proposals previously attempted for our region thus far, being not far off of double the height of the previously proposed turbines.

Statkraft as highlighted are a Government owned enterprise, and will ultimately be using this site to produce and export energy, with all profits from this mega project being firmly destined for Norway.

As per the previous project proposals, in Scotland, applications for the construction, extension and operation of electricity generating stations with a capacity in excess of 50 megawatts must be made to the Scottish Ministers. (These are called Section 36 applications in reference to the relevant part of the Energy Act 1989.) The Scottish Government changed the law in this way specifically to remove decision-making power from local authorities, who were perceived as too responsive to local opinion and hence too likely to oppose large energy developments – which in practice means large wind farm projects.

The Giant´s Burn Wind Farm proposal will be a Section 36 Application and is therefore administered on behalf of the Scottish Ministers by the Energy Consents Unit. At present the project Status is “pre-application”, which means that certain required documentation has been submitted but the formal application to the Scottish Ministers has not yet been made. According to the information and timeline, as informed by Statkraft is “expected” in the Winter/Spring of 2025.

This project, being potentially even more destructive, and disruptive, to the area than any previous proposals, should be met with an energetic and robust rejection, from our local populations and communities, most of whom will be impacted to a greater or lesser, extent if allowed to go ahead!