Cnoc Buidhe Wind Energy Hub

Welcome to our website for the Cnoc Buidhe Wind Energy Hub.

At Belltown Power we are committed to working with local communities and stakeholders to responsibly develop renewable energy projects that help to deliver our Scottish climate change targets and ensure a green and sustainable future for generations to come.

The aim of this website is to provide easy access to the latest project information as well as setting out how you can get involved and share your views. We look forward to hearing from you.

graphic showing temperature changes globally and in Scotland since 1850
Image Source: Show Your Stripes - Professor Ed Hawkins (University of Reading) Graphics show yearly global temperature change since 1850 (left) & yearly temperature change in Scotland since 1884 (right)

The Climate Crisis

We are facing an unprecedented global climate crisis caused by the use of fossil fuels to power our societies. In the past 50 years weather induced disasters have increased five-fold. [1]

Necessary Actions

CO2 ppm have risen by 28% in the past 50 years.[2] We need to urgently cut greenhouse gas emissions to prevent irreversible temperature rises and nature loss. As electrification of transport and heating continues our demand for electricity will rise. It is vital we meet this increase, and existing demand, from renewable sources.

Project Contribution

Cnoc Buidhe Wind Energy Hub has the potential to make a sizeable contribution to the decarbonisation of our electricity system and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The project could produce enough energy to power over 230,000 households and save over 325,000 tonnes of CO2 every year [3]. This project is an opportunity for your community to contribute to tackling climate change in a significant way through hosting and part-owning a modern wind energy hub.

“We must go into emergency mode against the climate crisis. We need an avalanche of action.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

"If we don't act now, it'll be too late. Every day that goes by in which we don't do something about it is a day wasted."

Sir David Attenborough

 

  1. WMO, Weather-related disasters
  2. Statista, Historic average carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, Ian Tiseo
  3. Assumes 29 x 6.6 MW - RenewableUK, Statistics explained
Turbines and moth

Project Proposal

The site is located on the western side of Lussa Forest with Lussa Loch to the east, approximately 10 km northwest of Campbeltown on the Kintyre Peninsula. 

Belltown Power’s Project Team have been working closely with relevant specialists to carry out extensive site surveys and site assessments. The survey data and public consultation helped refine the proposal which has now been submitted, for planning approval, to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit. The layout comprises 29 turbines with tip heights ranging from 180 – 200 m. The turbines, together with an energy storage facility, peatland restoration and habitat enhancements collectively make up the Wind Energy Hub. The Environmental Impact Assessment Report and all associated documents are available on the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit website and in the Project Documents section below.

Proposal map

Virtual exhibition

Our first virtual exhibition is still available to view here. It will open up in a new window. The second virtual exhibition, which coincided with a second round of public exhibitions held in the area on 28 November 2023, is here.

What’s next...

We’d like to thank everyone who attended our physical and virtual exhibitions.  Your feedback helped us refine the proposal which was submitted to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit. Now that the planning application has been submitted there is an opportunity for members of the public to comment on it, before it is determined by Scottish Ministers.

All the associated documents will be available to view on this website and on the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit website from Friday 11th April 2025, reference ECU00004767, where you can also submit formal representations up to 19th May 2025.

Timeline

22/23 Nov 22

First Consultation Events

Q3 23 - Q1 24

EIA studies and surveys

28 Nov 23

Second Consultation Events

Q4 24

Planning Application Submitted

H1 26

Indicative Planning Determination

H1 27

Target Construction Start

H1 29

Target Commercial Operation Date

Community

Community Ownership – groundbreaking offer

At Belltown Power we fundamentally believe that renewable energy projects should benefit the communities that host them. We offer a groundbreaking Community Ownership scheme that can bring tangible benefits to the heart of the community through the revenue generated by owning a stake in a renewable energy project. This includes:

  • Working with - or setting up - an Incorporated Entity that is run and owned by the community;
  • Giving that Entity 1% of the project ownership for free and offering the opportunity to buy a further 4% at cost, once the project is operational (plus more at market rate if desired). There are various sources of community funding for this; and
  • Helping to support the community through this process via Local Energy Scotland, an independent body that administers and manages the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).

West Kintyre, East Kintyre and Campbeltown Community Councils, and Kintyre Wind have expressed an interest in Community Ownership.  As the project progresses we will continue to engage with these groups to establish how the community wants to take an ownership stake, how the scheme will operate and how the community can best benefit from this opportunity.

Please do get in touch if you would like to know more.

Community Benefit

In addition to this attractive ownership offering, we are committed to providing £5,000/MW (index linked) Community Benefit for the lifetime of the project. Depending on a community's need this could be part or wholly front loaded to support larger projects. 

Electricity Discount Scheme

In our first round of consultation energy bills were identified as a key concern among local residents. Therefore for our second round of consultation we proposed that a significant portion of community benefit be used to provide an Electricity Discount Scheme (EDS) to local residents and businesses.

Supportive feedback was received on the proposed EDS and helped shaped the plans included in the final proposal. The final proposal includes an EDS [1] which would offer the following:

  • ZONE 1: £700 Per year Electricity discount for properties within 2.5 km [2]
  • ZONE 2: £250 Per year Electricity discount for properties within 5 km
  • ZONE 3: £150 Per year Electricity discount for properties within 10 km                                             

 

1. All EDS numbers are currently indicative only and based off 29, 6.6 MW turbines.

2. Distances were measured from the site boundary and zones adjusted so as not to divide settlements as defined in the Local Development Plans.

Case Study

Near to our Tirgwynt site in Powys, Wales the Carno Primary School faced closure due to the condition of temporary buildings they were using. Due to our flexible community benefit offering we were able to substitute some of the annual payments with a larger, upfront payment which enabled the construction of a new school building allowing the local school to continue to serve the community for future generations.

Children at windfarm

Education - inspiring the next generation

We believe passionately in education and have been running the Belltown Education Programme since 2015 with the aim of inspiring the next generation of engineers, scientists and climate emergency tacklers.

Local Environment

Everyone at Belltown Power is involved in the renewable energy industry through a desire to tackle the climate crisis and nature emergency. In addition to powering over 230,000 homes and displacing over 325,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year over the life time of the project* we will implement a comprehensive and tailored Biodiversity Enhancement Plan (BEP) to ensure that the Cnoc Buidhe Wind Energy Hub delivers a net ecological benefit through careful habitat design, creation and management.


* Figures based on a wind energy hub comprising of 29 turbines at 6.6 MW for 35 years and recognised assumptions stated here.

Get involved

At Belltown Power, we recognise a fundamental part of good project development is early consultation to ensure local communities and stakeholders are given the opportunity to provide feedback and are kept informed of a project’s progress. As part of this consultation process and we look forward to engaging with any questions and feedback you may have about the project.

Do please ask any questions, provide feedback via our feedback form or request a call back using the form below or simply email the team at cnocbuidhe@belltownpower.com 

Public Exhibitions

In-person exhibitions took place during November 2022 and November 2023 at Glenbarr Village Hall and at Campbeltown Town Hall and we're grateful to everyone who took the time to come along and speak to the team. If you were not able to attend, you can still view our virtual exhibitions.

The proposed layout was revised following the public exhibitions. The changes included reducing the number of turbines, changing the turbine locations, and decreasing the height of the turbines. Overall, the feedback received from these exhibitions was positive and helped us identify the most important concerns of the community, and act on them.

Get in touch

You can get in touch directly with any questions or comments by emailing cnocbuidhe@belltownpower.com If you'd like to register for project updates, or as a local supplier, please complete the form below.

Opportunities for Local businesses and Suppliers

Opportunities for Local businesses and Suppliers

Belltown Power is committed to providing material benefit to the communities that host Energy Hubs, such as Cnoc Buidhe. To ensure this happens we will use local supply chain where they meet the project’s HSEQ requirements and where they are within 10% of the best quote tendered.

There are a wide range of services and suppliers required to build and operate a wind farm including but not limited to:

  • Construction, drainage and fencing contractors,

  • Materials suppliers and building merchants,

  • Plant hire and security,

  • Fuel providers and waste management, and

  • Local hospitality providers and car hire.

To understand the full range of opportunities available please register on our supplier database and we will get in touch.

Meet the Buyer

In due course, we will be holding “Meet the Buyer” events where you can meet the project team, we can learn more about your business and we can discuss opportunities to work together.

If you believe you can supply our development or simply want to understand more we would love to hear from you. All you need to do is register above or email us and one of our team will be in contact to collect further details and answer any questions.

Feedback

News

We're very pleased to confirm submission of our planning application to the Scottish Government for the Cnoc Buidhe Wind Energy Hub.

We would like to thank everyone who contributed to shaping our proposals by providing feedback and attending our public consultations. A physical copy of the planning application is available at Argyll and Bute Council’s public service points in Campbeltown and Lochgilphead.

The full planning application and all the associated documents can also be viewed online, on this website (see Project Proposal section) and on Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit website (www.energyconsents.scot) reference ECU00004767 where representations can also be submitted up to 19 May 2025.

The proposal is for 29 turbines with tip heights ranging from 180 - 200 m and a total generating capacity of up to 191.4 MW (29 x 6.6 MW). These turbines, together with a battery energy storage facility of up to 108.6 MW, peatland restoration and habitat enhancements, collectively make up the Wind Energy Hub.

Belltown has committed to providing Community Benefit for the lifetime of the project. Based on the current proposal, this would deliver £957,000 each year, for 40 years. During the consultation, local people strongly supported the idea of the community benefit funds being used for an electricity discount scheme (EDS): currently more than 5000 properties stand to benefit with annual discounts ranging between £700 to £150.

Belltown offers a ground-breaking Community Ownership scheme where local communities that host the wind energy hubs are offered 1% of the project ownership for free, with further stakes up to 4% available to be purchased at development cost.

Daniel Morgan, Development Manager at Belltown, added; “At Belltown we fundamentally believe that renewable energy projects should benefit the communities that host them and we look forward to continuing to progress both the Community Benefit and Ownership proposals with the local communities as the application progresses.”

Should the proposal be consented, Belltown could start construction in 2027; the company offers a procurement policy that favours local contractors to ensure they and local suppliers benefit from the project.

Cherry Hall, Senior Development Manager, visited Campbeltown Grammar for their annual Careers & Pathway Event. The aim of the day was to meet students from each academic year and inspire them to consider Renewable Energy as a career choice. 

Whether students are considering STEM subjects or the arts, Renewable Energy has a career path for everyone. With the sector due to grow over the next 20 years, as we head towards Net Zero, employers will be looking for new talent to join their teams at every level.

The day was a great success. It was a chance to engage with over 350 students working towards their National's and Highers. Belltown Power was delighted to participate in the Careers & Pathway Event.

Our second round of public consultations takes place in November 2023. There will be in-person drop in exhibitions held at:

  • Glenbarr Village Hall, Tuesday 28 November 2023, 08.30am-12.30pm
  • Campbeltown Town Hall, Tuesday 28 November 2023, 2.30pm-8pm

Please come along and find out more about the proposal, ask any questions you may have, leave feedback and tell us how you'd like to see the community benefit fund used.

There is now also a virtual exhibition online, for anyone who isn't able to make it along in person.

In March 2023 we submitted our Scoping Report to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit. The scoping process allows us to engage with key stakeholders ahead of submitting a planning application to ensure our methodology and approach is suitable and will allow them to properly opine on our subsequent Section 36 application.

The Scoping Report and all associated documents are available on the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit website and in the Project Documents section above.

We will be holding a virtual exhibition (15  Nov -19 Dec) and two in-person exhibitions (22 Nov - Glenbarr Hall near Glenbarr Stores 1-7pm and 23 Nov - Campbeltown Town Hall 9-12 noon). 

Do please join us at one of these events where you can ask questions about our proposal and share your views. Please also complete a Feedback form.

 

Installation of a temporary, 80m high meteorological mast commenced this month, following planning consent being granted. It will be used to measure and validate the wind resource at the Cnoc Buidhe site.