Balnespick Wind Farm Podcast
Fred. Olsen Renewables new podcast series
For the communities nearby, it has prompted real questions about the opportunities and benefits it could provide, and some genuine concerns that have already led to real, tangible changes in the project itself.
In this first episode of The Balnespick Briefing, journalist, podcaster and media consultant Shaun Milne sits down with guests Kelly Wyness, Senior Project Manager at Fred. Olsen Renewables, and Lynva Forrest, Assistant Project Manager, to set out the full picture.
They talk in depth about what Balnespick is, where it sits in the planning process, and why the scheme looks different today than it did when first proposed.
The episode also covers how local feedback, the Further Environmental Information (FEI) process – where developers provide additional technical evidence in response to scrutiny from Scottish Ministers – and inclusive consultations with other stakeholders and people in the community, have already helped shape the project into becoming what it is today.
Kelly and Lynva also discuss what makes Fred. Olsen Renewables different as a developer: an owner-operator model meaning they build, own and run their wind farms for the long term, and the other characteristics that make them a long term partner.
Also on the table: the Community Benefit Fund worth over £250,000 a year, peat avoidance, biodiversity commitments, and at 50.4MW, how the project would power tens of thousands of homes as part of Scotland’s drive for green energy.
The consultation period runs until 8 June 2026.
You can listen to the first episode of The Balnespick Briefing podcast here: The Balnespick Briefing Podcast on Spotify
Find out more about Balnespick Wind Farm at https://www.balnespickwindfarm.co.uk/
More information about Fred. Olsen Renewables is available at: https://fredolsenrenewables.com
