IMPORTANT site investigations to enable the creation of a new and highly-efficient wind farm close to the border of East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire have now been completed.
Mill Rig Wind Farm is set to see six turbines come into operation in Spring 2026 with developers OnPath Energy (formerly Banks Renewables) announcing that site investigations ongoing since May have now come to a close.
Construction is anticipated to begin in March 2025 and the South Lanarkshire wind farm is expected to start exporting renewable electricity to the national grid one year later.
Mill Rig will have the capacity to generate up to 132GWh of renewable electricity annually, enough to power over 45,000 homes.
The project will deliver significant social, environmental and economic benefits including a community benefit fund of up to £167,000 per year and around £91m investment in the local economy.
Gordon Thomson, projects director for OnPath Energy said: “We have been carrying out a wide range of tests and surveys on the Mill Rig site since May and are pleased with the results from this.
“Once operational, Mill Rig is a site that will deliver 30 years’ worth of clean energy to homes across the country as well as Delivering significant benefits for local communities for many years.
“While we are still to confirm a grid connection date, we expect the site to be fully operational in 2026.”
Mill Rig will be built using modern onshore turbines which will be amongst the UK’s most efficient, with the £155m project displacing approximately 27,000 tonnes of CO2 annually from the UK’s electricity supply grid, equivalent to around 16,000 petrol cars from the road.
Located near Darvel, East Ayrshire the site was given the green light by South Lanarkshire Council in 2022 and will feature some of the UK’s most efficient onshore wind turbines.
Sam Fisher, Senior Geotechnical Engineer, Natural Power said: “Natural Power was delighted to deliver the site investigation works at Mill Rig near Darvel.
“As a local supplier, headquartered less than 50 miles from the site, we are very familiar with the challenging ground conditions and access issues the site faces.
“We have specialist drilling rigs for accessing these soft ground and forestry environments and a deep understanding of how the ground conditions encountered will impact the construction phase of the project.
“We have been fortunate to work with OnPath for several years now and are proud to support them in their vision to power a more sustainable future through renewable energy”
The local economy stands to gain significantly from wind farm investment during development, construction and operation, with a projected local spend of over £91 Million (around 60%) over the project lifetime.
This estimate is based on the average projected spend figures between three OnPath wind farms, with independent consultant Biggar Economics calculating the economic impact of OnPath’s wind farm developments.
The local authority will also benefit from tax revenue generated by Mill Rig, with an anticipated £18 million in business rates contributing to public funds.
Additionally, the development will directly support around 300 jobs its lifetime, with many more being indirectly supported by the wider supply chain impacts.
OnPath Energy, formerly known as Banks Renewables, recently announced the completion of the Kype Muir Extension Wind Farm, the first UK project to achieve 200-meter tip heights. This represents a significant advancement in turbine technology and renewable energy.
Including the original Kype Muir site, which has been operational since 2019, both sites now feature a total of 41 turbines. Together, they generate over 478 GWh of electricity annually, providing renewable power to more than 123,000 homes — equivalent to a city similar in size to Aberdeen.
OnPath Energy has obtained planning permission for 14 wind farms and currently operates 11 onshore wind farms across Scotland and northern England, with a combined installed generation capacity of approximately 280 MW.
