Fred. Olsen Proposes 100-MW Hybrid Energy Park Permit in Scotland

Norway’s Fred. Olsen Renewables AS is seeking the Scottish government’s consent regarding a proposal to build a 100-MW hybrid renewable energy complex, its first such project in the country.

The Lees Hill Renewable Energy Park in the Scottish Borders will incorporate onshore wind, solar power and battery storage capacity, the Norwegian group said on Monday.

Plans for the contemplated project have been subject to public consultation since 2022 and altered in response to feedback. The project has been revised to cut the total number of turbines and reduce the area for the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The submitted proposal with the government consists of six turbines of up to 200 metres (656 feet) in height and a 60-MW solar plant, to be coupled with a 60-MW battery storage facility.

The project is expected to provide over GBP 7 million (USD 8.6m/EUR 8.1m) in annual community benefit funding over the 35-year lifespan of the installation.

In December last year, Fred. Olsen applied with the Scottish government to build a 57-MW wind turbine park with an integrated battery energy storage system (BESS) of 10 MW near Forth Augustus.