Knockkippen wind farm Consented by Ministers

An application for a wind farm, battery storage and ground-mounted solar PV on land 2km from Patna, East Ayrshire has been granted consent by Scottish Ministers. The permission, granted to Naturalis Energy Developments Limited, to construct and operate Knockkippen Wind Park under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 was confirmed on 30 April 2025.

The wind park comprises 12 turbines with a capacity of 60MW, turbine tip heights of up to 180 metres together with battery storage and ground-mounted solar PV to help create a more flexible grid system.

Copies of the decision statement and related documentation are published on the Energy Consents website www.energyconsents.scot; reference number ECU00004523 -

The application was lodged in June 2022, following a public consultation with local people, community organisations and businesses.

Naturalis has committed to paying £5,000 per MW of installed capacity into a community benefit fund. Based on the candidate turbines  this could mean up to £300,000 a year/£10.5m over the 35-year lifetime of the wind farm. Naturalis will work with the local community to help shape the community benefit package that best meets local needs and wishes. Naturalis has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the 9CC Group which represents nine local community councils. The 9CCG will help to determine how the community benefit fund will be divided and allocated.

 Key Facts

·       Number of turbines: 12 turbines

·       Size of turbines: A maximum tip height of 180m

·       Battery Storage: co located with the wind farm to maximise use of the grid connection

·       Lifespan: 35 years of operation

·       Current land use: open moorland, former area of open cast coal mines

·       Grid connection: Underground cables to a new substation, on site

Speaking on behalf of the project partners, Tim Mockridge, Project Manager said how delighted they were to have been granted consent,

 “We would like to thank everyone who helped us achieve this consent and we now look forward to working with local people on the next, exciting phase of this project to ensure that local communities benefit.

“The development will create direct and indirect economic benefits including the potential for local jobs during the construction period and a range of contracts that local firms will be encouraged to bid for.

We will – in due course – hold a ‘meet the buyer’ event so that we can maximise opportunities for local companies.”

All documents relating to the planning submission and the Consent now granted, can be viewed on the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit website.