SSE Renewables (LON: SSE) has begun construction work on its 50MW Aberarder onshore wind farm in the Scottish Highlands.
Based in Strathnairn near Inverness, the project will comprise 12 Vestas V117-4.2 MW, which the supplier will also install.
The wind farm is adjacent to the operational 94MW Dunmaglass Wind Farm, jointly owned by SSE Renewables and Greencoat UK Wind.
Once operational, the site will be capable of generating enough power for almost 60,000 homes annually and displace around 30,000 tonnes of CO2 during its first year of operation.
SSE Renewables took over development of the project in October 2022 after acquiring it from RES for an undisclosed sum.
The project was granted planning consent in 2017 and was successful in the UK’s fifth Contract for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round in September 2023, securing a 15-year contract for low-carbon power generation.
SSE took a final investment decision on Aberarder Wind Farm in May of this year in a circa £100m investment and is scheduled for completion in late 2026.
Director of onshore renewables development and construction Heather Donald said: “Beginning construction of our Aberarder Wind Farm project is a significant milestone for SSE Renewables and for our onshore wind portfolio.
“This project will play its part in supporting Scotland and the UK’s net zero targets, producing homegrown clean power and helping secure a greener future.”
The Aberarder wind farm forms part of SSE Renewables’ 2GW onshore wind portfolio, of which 1.2GW is based in Scotland.
The company experienced a sharp increase in the amount of electricity produced from onshore wind in first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year, jumping up to 1,069GWh from onshore wind compared to 715GWh in the same period last year.
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