Environment

We strive to develop our projects by working to current best practice and, wherever possible, providing added value such as biodiversity enhancement.

Our team includes specialists such as ecologists, planners, environmental scientists and engineers who are all committed to developing onshore wind projects that are sensitive to the natural environment.

From the earliest stages of project development, the environment is a primary consideration. Natural features, such as watercourses, hedgerows and tree lines, are identified. Exclusion zones or buffers of differing sizes are applied where feasible. This exercise goes a long way to inform the design of the wind farm.

Environmental consultants are appointed right from the start to carry out specialist surveys such as bird studies, hydrological studies and soil assessments. The findings of these early stage studies are then used to further refine the wind farm design. As the wind farm development progresses towards a planning submission, further studies are carried out that culminate in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). The EIAR sets out our commitments to mitigate or compensate for the effects of the development on the natural environment.

The EIAR also states our commitment to monitoring the environment during the construction and operation of the wind farm. During construction, we work in a sensitive way to preserve the site as much as possible. When the wind farm is operational, the development occupies only a 3% footprint of the site, co-existing alongside forest, fields and farmlands.