Chleansaid wind farm investment cleared as ESB commits to Highland build

ESB has taken a final investment decision (FID) on the Chleansaid wind farm, its first wholly developed onshore wind project in Scotland, and has executed the principal construction contracts for the 96MW facility near Lairg in the Scottish Highlands. The Chleansaid wind farm investment brings to an end the development phase of a project that secured planning consent in 2023 and a 15-year Contract for Difference (CfD), and now moves firmly into delivery.

The 100%-owned project will comprise 16 wind turbines, with construction expected to commence later this year and commercial operation targeted for 2028. For ESB, that timeline is the concrete measure against which its renewable ambitions in Britain will be judged.

What the Chleansaid wind farm investment actually commits

The FID is real and the contracts are signed, which puts this a step beyond the pipeline announcements that crowd the renewables press. Chleansaid is the first project to advance into construction from ESB’s current pipeline of approximately 2GW of onshore wind opportunities under development across Scotland and Wales. One project from a 2GW pipeline is a start, not a programme, but it is a start backed by executed contracts rather than a memorandum of understanding.

On the turbine supply side, GE Vernova has confirmed it will supply 16 units of its 6.1 MW-158m onshore wind turbine for the project, along with a 20-year services agreement. The turbines are to be manufactured in Germany. A two-decade services commitment from the original equipment manufacturer is a more substantive indicator of long-term project confidence than the FID headline alone: it ties GE Vernova’s commercial interest to Chleansaid’s operational performance well into the 2040s.

The 6.1 MW rating across 16 units gives a nameplate capacity of 97.6 MW, consistent with the stated 96MW project figure once standard availability assumptions are applied. Nothing unusual there.

Contractors and the balance of plant

Beyond the turbine supply, the civil and electrical scope has been allocated. Kirby Group will deliver the Electrical Balance of Plant and Farrans Construction will deliver the Civil Balance of Plant. Both appointments are stated in the executed contracts, so the project’s critical-path risk is now a matter of execution rather than procurement.

‘Reaching Final Investment Decision for Chleansaid is a major milestone for ESB and a significant step in the delivery of our renewable energy ambitions across Scotland and the UK,’ said Paul Lennon, Head of Renewables, ESB. ‘As our first wholly developed onshore wind project in Scotland, Chleansaid demonstrates our long-term commitment to investing in clean, secure and home-grown energy.’

Lennon added that working alongside GE Vernova, Kirby Group and Farrans, ESB is ‘proud to move into the construction phase of a project that will deliver lasting economic and environmental benefits for the Highlands and help accelerate the transition to a net zero future.’

The Scottish Government’s stake in the outcome

Stephen Gethins, Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Energy at the Scottish Government, framed the FID in policy terms. ‘This decision is a significant vote of confidence in Scotland as a place to invest in renewable energy,’ he said. ‘Reaching Final Investment Decision marks the point at which a project moves from development into delivery, and projects like Chleansaid will play an important role in supporting economic growth, energy security and Scotland’s transition to net zero including in the Highlands and elsewhere.’

That framing reflects a genuine policy interest: Scotland’s net-zero commitments depend on private capital following through on FIDs, not merely announcing pipelines. Chleansaid, with its CfD revenue certainty and contracted supply chain, is at least structured to do that. The 2028 commercial operation target is the date that will confirm whether the structure held.