Galawhistle Wind Farm is located on rough grazing land 4km west of the village of Douglas in South Lanarkshire.
Installed Capacity
66MW
No. of turbines
22
Turbine type
Vestas V90 3MW
Hub height
65m and 75m
Blade length
45m
Expected P50 energy yield
167.9GWh
Annual house-hold power equivalent
52,461 homes*
Application to extend the operational life of Galawhistle Wind Farm
Ventient Energy has submitted a planning application to extend the operational life of Galawhistle Wind Farm by an additional ten years. Galawhistle Wind Farm comprises 22 wind turbines each rated at 3 MW with an overall site capacity of 66 MW. The wind farm has been operational since March 2017. No changes are proposed to any physical elements of the wind farm, all of which would continue to operate as they have done since 2017.
What is the application?
The existing planning consent for the wind farm is due to expire in 2042. Technical assessment across many of Ventient’s sites has demonstrated wind farms can continue to operate safely beyond the expiry date of their original planning consent. Therefore, Ventient Energy wishes to secure planning consent to operate the wind farm for a longer period of time.
Extending the operational life of Galawhistle wind farm presents a significant opportunity to continue to generate enough clean electricity to supply around 52,461 homes* every year, contribute to the energy transition for a cleaner and healthier future for everyone, and support the wellbeing of local communities through the wind farm’s Community Benefit Fund.
Contractors involved in operation and maintenance activities use local facilities when visiting the wind farm.
The FAQ document issued to local community councils and ward councillors prior to the submission of the planning application can be dowloaded here:
Galawhistle Wind Farm Life Extension – FAQ (131KiB – Adobe PDF)
What are the next steps?
The Energy Consents Unit will now undertake a consultation exercise in respect of the application before Scottish Ministers make a decision regarding the outcome of the application. This webpage will be kept up to date with any new information about the application.
How can I find out more information?
Further information on the application can be obtained via The Energy Consents Unit website under the reference: ECU00004538.
The application documentation can also be downloaded here:
Galawhistle Variation Application – Cover Letter (227KiB – Adobe PDF)
Galawhistle S36 Variation Report (2MB – Adobe PDF)
Appendix 1 – Item 1 – Site Layout (318KiB – Adobe PDF)
Appendix 1 – Item 2 – Ecology Appraisal Technical Note (226KiB – Adobe PDF)
Appendix 1 – Item 3 – LVIA Appraisal Technical Note (223KiB – Adobe PDF)
Appendix 1 – Item 4 – Decision Notice 2015 (4MB – Adobe PDF)
Appendix 1 – Item 5 – ES Vol 1 – Written Statement (4MB – Adobe PDF)
Appendix 1 – Item 6 – ES Vol 2 – Figures and Visualisations (2MB – Adobe PDF)
Appendix 1 – Item 7 – ES Vol 3 – ES Technical Appendices (8MB – Adobe PDF)
Appendix 2 – Item 1 – EIA Screening Opinion, Nov 2022 (2MB – Adobe PDF)
Hard copies of the planning application can be viewed at the following locations:
One Stop Shop, 42 Coalburn Road, Coalburn ML11 0LH
The Community Centre, Burns Avenue, Muirkirk KA18 3RH
The Hub, 15 Furnace Road, Muirkirk KA18 3RE
Any questions relating to the life extension application should be directed to WindFarms@ventientenergy.com
18 of the turbines are positioned on land that’s owned by Ventient Energy while the remaining four are distributed between two other landowners.
Planning consent for Galawhistle Wind Farm was received in August 2012 and was then varied in 2015 to allow for use of 45 metre blades, giving overall capacity at the site of 66MW.
Construction started on the site in March 2015 and it opened in March 2017. Its 22 turbines are rated at 3MW and can generate enough energy to power 52,461 homes*.
Benefiting local communities
Since 2017 local communities within 10km of the wind farm have benefited from The Ventient Energy Galawhistle Community fund.
Projects supported to date include a contribution to Coalburn Pipe Band for work on the roof and cladding of their hall while Douglasdale Real Group received funding to purchase an All Terrain Vehicle and a winch kit to assist in repairing nearby foot paths.
Coalburn Miners Welfare Charitable Society also received funding to supply and install 12 laptops for a community training programme to upskill local people and help them back into the world of work. This project was then complemented by an award to Skills Exchange Scotland to establish weekly job clubs in Coalburn and Douglas.
Other beneficiaries have included Coalburn IOR pipe band, Glespin Community Group, 1st Douglas Brownies and 1st Douglas Rainbows.
Any questions relating to this wind farm should be directed to: windfarms@ventientenergy.com
*Based on the Installed Capacity x Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) "all wind" load factor expressed as a fraction of 1^ x number of hours in a year (8,760 hours) / Average Annual Domestic Electricity Consumption (MWh)^^
^BEIS's long-term average load factor for "all wind" (31.84%) expressed as a fraction of 1 (0.3184). Source for capacity factors is Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) published annually by BEIS.
^^Annual GB Average Domestic Consumption Values from BEIS (3,509kWh).