Solar, wind and battery projects near Stromness (KW16)
3 solar, wind or battery projects of 150 kW or more are recorded within 10 km of the centre of KW16 (Orkney Islands): 1 is waiting for a planning decision, 1 approved but not yet running. The largest live scheme is Akla (2.7 MW wind farm, approved on 17 December 2012, not yet built; REPD status may be out of date), 8.2 km away. Offshore, 1 wind farm is recorded within 40 km; the nearest is West of Orkney Wind Farm (2,000 MW, approved, not built), 38.2 km away. Source: Renewable Energy Planning Database, July 2026 extract.
Projects within 10 km of KW16
Projects of 1 MW and more (3)
| Project | Type | MW | Status (REPD) | Submitted | Decision | Record updated | Council | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gruf Hillwind farm | wind farm | 7.5 | refusedupdated Jul 2009 | Oct 2002 | refused Mar 2003 | Jul 2009 | Orkney Islands | 6.3 |
| Aklawind farm | wind farm | 2.7 | approved, not built may be out of dateupdated Sep 2022 | Dec 2010 | granted Dec 2012 | Sep 2022 | Orkney Islands | 8.2 |
| Wind Turbine at Ward Hillwind turbine | wind turbine | 2 | application submittedupdated May 2025 | Apr 2025 | — | May 2025 | Orkney Islands | 8.9 |
Distance from the average position of the KW16 postcodes, not from your home. Projects of 5 MW and more have their own page with dates and planning history.
By type
| Type | All | Pending | Approved | Operational | Refused | MW in pipeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind farm | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2.7 |
| Wind turbine | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
MW in pipeline: pending, approved and under-construction capacity.
Offshore wind farms within 40 km
| Wind farm | MW | Status (REPD) | km |
|---|---|---|---|
| West of Orkney Wind Farm | 2,000 | approved, not builtupdated Jul 2025 | 38.2 |
Operational, approved and pending offshore wind farms; distance from the district centre to the REPD grid reference of each wind farm (one point per site, so the nearest turbines can be closer or further). All offshore wind farms in UK waters.
How Orkney Islands decides solar, wind and battery applications
| Applications | Orkney Islands | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 29 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 5 (17%) | 19% |
| Onshore wind refused | 5 of 29 | 45% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 26.9 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 2 / 2 | — |
All projects in Orkney Islands
Is the status up to date?
32% of applications still shown as pending in REPD were submitted more than two years ago, and only 37% of pending records were updated in the last 12 months, so some of them may already have been decided. Near KW16, 1 project has a status that may be out of date (pending for over two years, or approved with a permission expiry date already passed). Check the council's planning register for the latest decision.