Ardrossan Wind Farm is an impressive sight, sitting high above the town of Ardrossan on the Ayrshire coast. The site is noted for its very favourable wind resources and has historically produced a capacity of around 36%.
Installed Capacity
30MW
No. of turbines
15
Turbine type
Vestas V80
Hub height
60m
Expected P50 energy yield
91.6GWh
Annual house-hold power equivalent
23,846 homes*
Application to extend the operational life of Ardrossan Wind Farm
Ventient Energy intends to submit a planning application to extend the operational life of Ardrossan Wind Farm for up to an additional ten years. The wind farm comprises 15 wind turbines each rated at 2 MW with an overall site capacity of 30 MW. 12 turbines received planning consent in 2003 and a further three turbines were consented in 2007.
What is the application?
The existing planning consents for the wind farm are due to expire in 2031 and 2035 however technical assessment across many of Ventient’s sites has demonstrated wind farms can continue to operate safely and efficiently beyond their originally anticipated lifespan. Therefore, Ventient Energy wishes to extend the duration of the planning consents in order to operate the wind farm for a longer period of time.
Extending the operational life of Ardrossan Wind Farm presents a significant opportunity to continue to generate enough clean electricity to supply around 23,846 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.
The operation of the wind farm involves the work of a number of technicians. In addition, contractors involved in operation and maintenance activities use local accommodation and retail facilities when visiting the wind farm.
What are the next steps?
An Environmental Impact Assessment screening request will be submitted to North Ayrshire Council.
How can I find out more information?
Further information will be made available on this page. You can also download the FAQ document below:
Ardrossan Wind Farm Life Extension – FAQ (150KiB – Adobe PDF)
Any questions relating to the life extension application should be directed to WindFarms@ventientenergy.com
The 15 turbines at Ardrossan Wind Farm were actually built nearby at a facility in Argyll which was owned at the time by Vestas. The wind farm began commercial operations in August 2004, was extended in 2009, and was purchased from Scottish & Southern Energy in May 2010.
Ardrossan’s 15 turbines are rated at 2MW giving the wind farm an installed capacity of 30MW. It can generate enough energy to power 23,846 homes*.
Benefiting local communities
Ardrossan Wind Farm’s community benefit fund supports projects proposed by community groups in and around the towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston as well as applications from groups from the island of Arran.
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).
