Howat's Hill
Introduction
Howat's Hill Energy Park Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Glasgow-based renewable energy developer Renewco Power Limited, is progressing plans for a new wind energy development located around 7km east of Lockerbie within Dumfries and Galloway.
The proposed development is anticipated to comprise 5 wind turbines with a maximum blade tip height of 200 metres, solar development, battery storage, together with associated infrastructure including access tracks, hardstandings, electrical infrastructure and ancillary development.
A request for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Opinion has been submitted to Scottish Ministers. The purpose of the Scoping process is to seek views from Scottish Ministers, statutory consultees and other stakeholders on the environmental topics that should be examined through the EIA process. The findings of the EIA will be reported within an EIA Report which will accompany a future Section 36 consent application to the Scottish Government.
The EIA process ensures key environmental factors which must be considered during the planning process are identified and creates opportunities to avoid or mitigate potentially significant environmental effects through the design of the project where possible. The EIA Scoping Request can be downloaded below or accessed on the Energy Consents Unit website via case number ECU00006443.
Renewco Power is committed to engaging with local communities and stakeholders throughout the development process and will be holding consultation events to provide information and seek feedback on the emerging proposals prior to the submission of the S36 application.
Why is this project needed?
The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 commits Scotland to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Delivering additional renewable electricity generation is a key element of achieving these targets and supporting wider decarbonisation of transport, heat and industry.
Howat’s Hill Energy Park has the potential to make a significant contribution to national renewable energy and climate goals. Based on the current Scoping Layout, the wind element is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to power approximately 34,500 homes, while the proposed solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) would help balance electricity supply and demand and support a more flexible and resilient electricity network.
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Location
The Howat's Hill site is located within Dumfries and Galloway council, around 2km north of the village of Middlebie, 7km east of the town of Lockerbie and immediately south of the operational Minsca Wind Farm.
Why Here?
The site has been identified for development because:
- it benefits from a strong wind resource suitable for renewable energy generation;
- it comprises upland landscape with the potential to accommodate modern wind turbines, as demonstrated by the presence of the operational Minsca windfarm;
- it is located close to existing electricity grid infrastructure to allow the export of power from the site;
- It is located close to a concentration of infrastructure along the M74 corridor, providing access for both normal construction traffic and abnormal loads
- there is scope to deliver a suitable access to the Site for both construction traffic and abnormal indivisible loads (AIL).
- existing forestry tracks and land uses provide opportunities to minimise new infrastructure.
- environmental constraints identified to date indicate there is potential to develop a wind farm whilst avoiding or mitigating significant environmental effects.
It should be noted that while this site is located immediately adjacent to the Minsca windfarm it is a separate proposal. Minsca windfarm has been operational since 2008 and in 2023 secured planning consent for an extension of its operational life to 2043.
Scoping Layout
A range of environmental surveys and technical assessments have informed the development of the current Scoping Layout. These include:
- ornithology surveys undertaken over a two-year period, including breeding bird, wintering bird and flight activity surveys;
- ecology surveys, including habitat mapping and protected species assessments;
- peat and hydrology surveys, including peat depth probing and watercourse assessments;
- cultural heritage, i.e. the presence of historic features on or close to the site;
- landscape and visual assessment, including the identification of key viewpoints and assessment of potential visual effects;
- transport and access studies, including route assessments for abnormal loads and consideration of local road network constraints.
At the current Scoping stage, the Proposed Development is anticipated to include:
- 5 wind turbines up to 200m to blade tip;
- 25 MW of Solar PV
- Battery Energy Storage System
- onsite electrical infrastructure;
- substation and control building;
- new and upgraded internal access tracks;
- temporary construction compounds;
- borrow pits;
- habitat enhancement and management measures.
The layout will continue to evolve as environmental surveys progress and feedback is received from consultees and local communities.
Public Consultation
Renewco Power is committed to undertaking meaningful consultation throughout the development process. Details of upcoming public consultation events will be published here shortly. The events will provide an opportunity for local communities and stakeholders to:
- learn more about the project;
- meet the project team;
- review environmental information;
- provide feedback on the developing proposals.
Consultation materials will also be available to review and download from this webpage.
Community Benefit
Should the project secure consent and proceed to construction, Howat's Hill Energy Park would provide a substantial community benefit package in accordance with Scottish Government Good Practice Principles, which suggests an annual community benefit funding allocation of £6,000 per MW installed capacity of wind development or around £200,000 per annum.
The community benefit fund would provide direct investment in local priorities and initiatives and would be developed through engagement with local communities. Renewco are working in partnership with a company called AssetFace to develop a mechanism for community engagement and ensure that local communities are at the heart of the development process for Howat's Hill Energy Park.
Emerging from this we will develop a Community Benefit Strategy that seeks to deliver positive and lasting benefits for communities surrounding the project. This could include support for local initiatives, skills and education programmes, environmental enhancement projects and other opportunities identified through engagement with local stakeholders. The objective is to ensure that, alongside contributing to the UK's transition to a low-carbon energy system, Howat's Hill Energy Park creates meaningful social and economic value for the local area throughout its operational life.
Further details on community benefit and a link to the Asset Face platform will be provided here as the project progresses.
Indicative Development Timescale
July 2026
EIA Scoping Request submission
September 2026
Public Consultation Exhibition 1
Autumn 2026
EIA Scoping Opinion received
Nov/Dec 2026
Public Consultation Exhibition 2
Q1 2027
Submission of S36 application, including EIA Report
Q4 2027/Q1 2028
Consent Granted
Circa 2031 onwards
Start of operation
Ongoing Design Process
As the project progresses towards a Section 36 consent application, a number of activities will continue to inform the design and assessment of Howat's Hill Energy Park, including:
- Reviewing consultation responses received on the EIA Scoping Report and agreeing the scope of environmental assessments with statutory consultees and stakeholders;
- Considering feedback received through the public consultation process and, where appropriate, incorporating this into the project design;
- Undertaking further environmental surveys and technical studies.
- Developing the detailed design of turbines, solar PV, BESS and associated infrastructure, including access tracks, construction compounds, drainage and grid connection infrastructure;
- Completing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and preparing the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) to support the Section 36 consent application.
Get in touch
We are interested in engaging with wind and solar asset owners, land-owners, developers and funders.