The largest windfarm in the Western Isles will now go ahead after a new investor came on board for the project.
It also signals a huge leap forward for a vital underwater energy cable to export renewable electricity from the islands across the Minch to mainland markets.
Leading global independent electricity generation firm International Power has confirmed it has purchased the rights to the 140MW Eishken windfarm on Lewis which will have 33 turbines.
Preliminary engineering on the giant £230million windfarm is now under way and on-site construction work will begin next year.
The scheme is due to start to produce electricity in 2016.
International Power – 70% owned by French firm GDF SUEZ – has taken over the proposed scheme from Nick Oppenheim who previously secured planning permission to build the massive turbines on his estate in South Lochs. The Eishken project is key to the progress of other onshore windfarms on Lewis, including a large raft of community energy schemes, and it also includes a financial commitment, estimated at around £60million, to partly underwrite the subsea interconnector. The windfarm would produce enough electricity to power 100,000 homes but without the £400million link cable there is no way of exporting the energy.
International Power European president Steve Riley said: “This project is a positive step for us in developing a major wind portfolio in Scotland.
“It will provide a significant boost to the local economy as well as help to secure future UK energy supply from renewable sources.”
High voltage overhead lines will carry the electricity across the moor to a huge convertor station at Gravir.
The subsea cable from there would come ashore near Ullapool.
As part of the community benefit under the planning bid, villagers are being offered sites within the development to build their own scheme but have to raise more than £10million for their turbines.
The original annual £1million benefit deal with the community and Western Isles Council’s development trust is to be honoured regardless of changes to ownership.