detailed constraints pertaining to peatland habitat, private water supplies, watercourses, and mining works
WRc advises Scottish Power Energy Networks on a route and risk analysis to ensure safe development of an overhead line between a wind farm and an electricity grid.
More on our Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Permitting servicesdetailed constraints pertaining to peatland habitat, private water supplies, watercourses, and mining works
best-case outcomes not only for level of risk, but for the landscape, ecology, and visual environment
contributions to route and constraints mapping, scoping report, EIA chapters, and associated figures and maps
SP Energy Networks supplies power to 2 million customers in Scotland from wind farms and other electricity sources via a transmission network of 3700km of overhead lines.
WRc’s Stirling team were contracted to provide input into route identification, key constraints and environmental impact for geology, hydrogeology and hydrology for a new overhead line development linking the consented Kennoxhead Wind Farm into the electricity grid at Coalburn Substation, South Lanarkshire. Significant constraints for this project included areas of sensitive peatland habitat, private water supplies (PWS) and a network of surface watercourses. Two sections of the study area had also been affected by extensive subsurface and surface mining activity, leaving a legacy of reinstated ground and a large number of shafts, adits and spoil tips that needed to be considered for ground stability reasons.
A mining risk assessment was undertaken for the relevant study area to identify the sections affected by mine workings, including separation into reinstated opencast and areas with significant underground mine workings, to ensure risks are fully understood.
The route identification study involved consideration of key constraints to development within a wide area around the two required end points. Once a number of route corridors were identified by the design team, a detailed study of each section was undertaken to assign a ‘RAG’ (red, amber, green) status (indicating high, manageable and low risk) to constraints and route options for the key areas of mining, peat, PWS and hydrology. Following clear identification and selection of the preferred route, with input from all environmental disciplines including landscape, visual, and ecology, a detailed assessment outlined all the potential impacts that may arise from the works.
Some PWS intakes are located downslope of proposed infrastructure, requiring a source-pathway-receptor risk analysis process to determine the level of risk and what control measures and mitigation should be put in place for these supplies. Most areas of peat were avoided by the design, although the route passes close to a designated raised bog and additional protection measures were recommended to ensure that there is no damage to the bog during construction works.
detailed constraints pertaining to peatland habitat, private water supplies, watercourses, and mining works
best-case outcomes not only for level of risk, but for the landscape, ecology, and visual environment
contributions to route and constraints mapping, scoping report, EIA chapters, and associated figures and maps