Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
4.2.33 The restocking plan shows a much greater proportion of Larch and Scots Pine being used
within Camilty than was previously the case. Changes in species from the previously
preferred monoculture of Sitka spruce has followed the Forestry Commission policy to create
greater species diversity and to improve the landscape and visual quality within individual
forests. Subject to the status of the diseases noted in 4.2.32 substitutions for affected species
will be made as necessary, at the time of restocking to ensure the establishment of a
successful crop. Currently Alaskan Lodgepole Pine a species which has shown resistance to
DNB, is being planted in place of Scots Pine.
4.2.34 Appendix 4.2 shows the wind farm layout with appropriate buffers, superimposed on the
restocking plan of the FDP. This is the “with-development” scenario incorporating the
infrastructure footprint for the proposed wind farm. This includes turbine positions, access
roads, met mast position and passing places, and the extent of recent and potential felling at
Camilty. The loss of forest due to the wind farm footprint is a total of approximately16.56 ha
(of the total footprint of 20.95). This will be the area required for compensatory planting, as
indicated in Appendix 4.1. The Forest Plan restocking figure is approximately 594 ha,
covering the whole forest block. It is assumed that the entire forest loss as a result of the
proposed infrastructure (including buffers around the turbines and other infrastructure) will
remain for the lifetime of the proposed wind farm.
4.2.35 Early Felling is proposed in 2 coupes (as shown in Appendix 4.1) as a result of the proposed
wind farm. This would involve coupes originally planned to be felled in 2018 and 2024
respectively, as part of the management proposed in the FDP. Short Rotation Forestry is not
deemed necessary in this scheme as adjustments to the felling regime to improve
performance of the wind farm can be taken into account and revised as part of the Design
Plan review and renewal process.
4.2.36 If the proposed wind farm is consented, FCS will submit a Forest Design Plan amendment
which includes the wind farm footprint and the agreed early felling areas.
4.2.37 Appendix 4.3 provides an assessment of the effect of the proposed development on the
current plantation, as discussed further in Section 4.10 below.
4.3 Energy Generation and Anemometry
Candidate Wind Turbine Model
4.3.1 The proposed wind farm will consist of six variable pitch (three bladed) wind turbines with a
maximum tip height of 132 m. The final choice of turbine will be dependent on the wind
analysis, turbine economics and available technology at the time of construction. As the
turbine choice has not been finalised, assumed maximum dimensions have been used within
the ES to ensure that a worst case scenario is assessed. It is anticipated that the turbines
will have a maximum 85 m hub height and 52 m blade radius resulting in a turbine tip height
not exceeding 132 m (that is, for example a hub of 80 m would be coupled with a blade of up
to 52 m, or a hub of 85 m with a blade of up to 47 m). Where directly relevant to the technical
assessments in this ES, each chapter states the assumed turbine parameters used.
Indicative models are generally not named herein, but a “worst case” provided – which may
require parameters from more than one turbine model being used.
4.3.2 The maximum rating of each turbine will be 3.4 MW of renewable energy, providing a total
installed capacity of up to 20.4 MW.
March 2013 4-7 ES Chapter 4
Description of the Proposed Development
Copyright Partnerships for Renewables Development Co. Ltd 2013 ©