Located 5km to the east of Dalmellington and between East Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway, the wind farm will deliver a £38 million community benefit investment over its lifetime following an agreement with Greencoat UK Wind.

Vattenfall’s agreement will also see Greencoat acquire the wind farm following its completion.

In line with UK Government guidance to ensure the safety of employees in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, construction for the wind farm will begin once it is appropriate to do so. Vattenfall will construct the wind farm and will manage the asset on behalf of Greencoat for a minimum of 10 years. It will also purchase the power for a period of 15 years.

Frank Elsworth, head of market development for UK Onshore, said: “We are delighted that our agreement with Greencoat UK Wind means we can fulfil our commitments to the local community and contribute to major investment in the area. Onshore wind in Scotland has the potential to make a significant contribution to reaching net zero and is the cheapest form of renewable energy generation that brings us closer to that goal.”

Carol Kane, local liaison officer for Vattenfall, added: “South Kyle Wind Farm will bring great opportunities with significant community benefit investment in the local area. Besides providing regular updates on the progress of the project, Vattenfall is also committed to engaging and working with local communities, particularly in relation to shaping the community benefit investment but also in supporting skills development, local supply chain and the environment.

“We look forward to working with the local community and will be sharing further information in the coming weeks.”

A timeline for construction is yet to be confirmed. Vattenfall is continuously monitoring precautions concerning COVID-19 and currently plan for the wind farm to be operational Q1 2023.  Once constructed, the wind farm will be able to power approximately 170,000 UK homes, saving close to 300,000 tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions annually, the equivalent of taking around 65,000 cars off the road.