News

The Planning & Environmental Group at TNEI has ended 2014 on a high, with the completion of their 6th onshore wind farm Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the year. During the course of the year, the team ““ based in Newcastle upon Tyne and Glasgow – has acted as lead consultant, core author and coordinator for wind farm EIAs in East Ayrshire (Lethans ““ Banks Renewables), Dorset (Slyer’s Lane ““ Broadview Energy), Scottish Borders (Birneyknowe ““ Banks Renewables; Whitelaw Brae ““ 2020 Renewables), South Lanarkshire (Kype Muir Wind Farm Extension ““ Banks Renewables) and Redcar & Cleveland (Kilton Thorpe Lane – GHF Energy). This work has culminated in the submission of Planning/Section 36 consent applications for a potential total of 300 megawatts of generating capacity. As well as acting as project managers for each client in coordinating the Environmental Statements across a team of specialist sub-consultants, TNEI provided planning consultancy

TNEI Services has successfully discharged all of the required planning conditions and completed the Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) role at EDF-ER’s 6 turbine Barmoor Wind Farm in Northumberland. The planning permission included a number of pre-commencement conditions covering a range of topic areas relating to construction traffic, shadow flicker, television interference, archaeology, and ecology and ornithology. TNEI were appointed to undertake pre-application consultation with relevant departments of the Council, prepare documentation sufficient to discharge the conditions, and to manage the process through to determination. TNEI were also appointed to undertake the ECoW role during the construction phase of the wind farm development. Construction commenced on site at a particularly sensitive time of year (bird breeding season) and TNEI were responsible for monitoring construction works, particularly ground and hedgerow clearance, to ensure that protected species were not disturbed by the works. The role included providing a contractor induction in advance

TNEI staff have recently undertaken a detailed feasibility assessment on behalf of a wind farm operator to consider various redevelopment options for an existing site in the north of England. This included consideration of the use of reconditioned turbines which can offer the advantage of lower project investment and shorter payback periods. The assessment considered data collected to support the original planning application, along with operational data collected from the turbines, to assess the feasibility of repowering the turbines using new hardware of a similar size; replanting of the site with newer larger turbines; and adding an extension to the existing site. As well as technical and environmental considerations, TNEI also undertook initial financial modelling and liaison with a broker of reconditioned wind turbines. TNEI are continuing to work with the operator to progress with the best option. The work is being lead by Claire Hughes TNEI’s Programme Manager who

TNEI will be exhibiting at the Renewable UK Annual Conference & Exhibition at Liverpool ACC on 6-8th October. Please come along and visit us at stand 166 and put your business card in our prize draw for a chance to win. To see where else TNEI will be exhibiting please visit our Events page.

TNEI has completed Environmental Impact Assessments and submitted Environmental Statements for wind farm schemes in Dorset and South Lanarkshire. Our Glasgow office has completed the coordination of the EIA for the 18 turbine Kype Muir Extension Wind Farm Project which has been submitted under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by Banks Renewables to the Energy Consents and Deployment Unit in Scotland. If consented the wind farm would add a further 72MW to the already consented, 26 turbine, 104MW Kype Muir Wind Farm. A decision is awaited from Scottish Ministers in consultation with South Lanarkshire Council. In parallel our Newcastle office has just completed the EIA for the 6 turbine Slyer’s Lane Wind Farm located to the North of Dorchester in Dorset. This scheme is the latest brought forward by Broadview Energy Limited and would make a substantial contribution to Dorset’s renewable energy aspirations, delivering up to 18MW of

TNEI have been commissioned by a leading wind energy developer to assess the potential of sites which were previously earmarked for wind energy development. TNEI Planning Team take account of the local development plan, national planning guidance and the trends emerging from recent appeal decisions to determine the suitability of the sites to accommodate solar development in principle. Once this has been established, TNEI’s GIS Team digitally map the environmental constraints and planning designations to determine their influence upon the development potential of the sites. Finally, TNEI’s Technical Team use specialist solar PV software packages to design best fit and bespoke PV arrays that allow projections of energy yield to be made. TNEI also has an in-house Power Systems Team and an Ecology/Ornithology Team which means that issues of grid connection, electricity distribution and biodiversity can be addressed as part of a one-stop service. TNEI’s Principal Planning Consultant, Nigel Moore,