Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has today announced Belltown Power UK as the preferred bidder for the redevelopment of the Cruach Mhor windfarm in Argyll.

The re-powering works at the site are anticipated to require an investment of approximately £75m, with the initial design phase set to commence shortly.

Belltown Power UK, a firm led by experienced renewable energy professionals, currently has 1GW of wind and solar projects underway across the UK. The company has received multiple accolades for the quality of its projects, its on-site biodiversity conservation efforts, and its commitment to industry best practice.

David Leven, FLS' Director of Commercial Development, stated: "We are at the forefront of helping to deliver Scotland's Climate Emergency targets and we are doing this at scale and at pace. The Cruach Mhor project is the first re-powering of one of the 25 windfarms currently operating on public land that we manage. The experience will help us both to refine our processes for the future and to maximise the benefits for Scotland. Belltown's was the strongest bid. It met all of our criteria and included an industry-leading community benefit package that also has scope for shared community ownership."

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FLS, operating as a public corporation, generates the majority of its income through commercial trading activities, including timber sales and leases on windfarm sites. All income generated by FLS is reinvested into managing Scotland's national forest and land, benefiting communities, nature, and contributing to Scotland's Climate Emergency efforts.

Paul Hewett, CEO of Belltown Power UK, expressed his satisfaction with the selection: "We are committed to playing our part in enabling the energy transition and combating the climate emergency and we are pleased that our development values and commitment to industry best practice have been rewarded with this tender. Communities, education and the environment are at the heart of everything we do. We will consult with the local community as the project progresses to outline the meaningful benefits that our community offering can deliver."

The community benefits package offered by Belltown Power UK for the Cruach Mhor project includes:

• Giving ownership of 1% of the project to the local community for free, with an additional 4% available at a discounted cost, and further opportunities at market value.

• A community benefit fund of £5,000 per megawatt per year, with potential for Electricity Discount Schemes for local residents and businesses, or upfront capital to enable further community ownership.

• A commitment to work with local businesses that meet necessary environmental, safety, and quality standards where possible.

Mr Hewett also highlighted the company's broader impact initiatives: "Our Education Programme has already supported 15 schools and provided bespoke resources to over 10,000 children to help inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and climate emergency tacklers. Our new portfolio of projects will expand this further. Over their operational lives, our projects currently in planning will save over 30 million tonnes of CO2 whilst powering more than 700,000 homes each year and delivering over 800,000 hectares of biodiversity enhancement. We are very much looking forward to working with FLS and with local communities as we begin this major repowering project."