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Windfarm substation gets go-ahead   24/1/13

The giant £230 million Eishken windfarm has been granted permission to build a vital sub-station required to feed its output into the energy grid.

Renewable energy from at least 39 huge turbines on the private estate in South Lochs will pass through the substation and be carried via high voltage overhead lines across the moor to a huge convertor station above the village of Gravir where a planned underwater link would come ashore near Ullapool.

A further 30 generators are earmarked to be erected south of the present site.

However, the construction of the compound will be delayed until a definite date is known over the go-ahead for an underwater interconnector cable required to export the energy to mainland markets.

Works infrastructure and roads at Eishken were halted three months ago when grid operator SSE delayed the cable after the price doubled to nearly £800 million.

The scheme was due to start produce electricity in 2016 when the proposed subsea link is expected to be finished.

The Eishken windfarm is owned by energy conglomerate International Power - which is controlled by  French firm GDF SUEZ, the world's largest utility company - which bought the scheme from estate landlord Nicholas Oppenheim early in 2012.  GDF also bought the rights to the neighbouring Pairc windfarm development from SSE.

GDF SUEZ is thought to have already pledged around an initial £60 million to underwrite its share in the proposed sub-sea cable.  Now SSE is approaching the company, and other Lewis windfarm developers, for a further financial commitment.