RJ MacLeod has won a contract for the extension of a South Lanarkshire wind
farm that will become home to the UK’s first 200-metre-tall onshore turbines.
The Glasgow-headquartered company will supply the supporting components and
auxiliary systems to 15 additional turbines being installed at Kype Muir by
Banks Renewables, the wind energy division of the family-owned mining and
property construction Banks Group based in Durham, England. Construction is
due to begin within the next few weeks, with the extension scheduled to
begin generating electricity by the end of next year.
Located 7.5km south of Strathaven, the new turbines combined with Kype
Muir’s 26 existing turbines will produce a combined 155MW of electricity
annually. This will be enough to meet the needs of approximately 112,000
homes – the equivalent of a city larger than Aberdeen.
About 30 RJ MacLeod staff will be employed on the project, with a total of
90 jobs supported during construction. Banks Group expects to spend a
further £10 million with local suppliers.
RJ MacLeod and Banks Renewables also worked together on the initial Kype
Muir wind farm, as well as at nearby Middle Muir.
“Onshore wind farms deliver significant investment in rural areas in
Scotland,” said Gordon Thomson, head of projects at Banks Renewables. “Our
Kype Muir wind farm alone will invest almost £100m locally to nearby
communities around Strathaven over its lifetime.
“The new extension at Kype Muir will not only provide a financial boost to
local economies, but will also provide job opportunities for local people
too.”
A new community partnership linked to the extension scheme is expected to
deliver approximately £10m in community funding for local projects and
groups over the site’s 30-year life. Added to the existing Kype Muir wind
farm benefits fund, a total of more than £770,000 will be provided to
support community groups and environmental projects.
Jamie Corser, business development manager at RJ MacLeod, said: “Being a
Scottish company that’s been around since the 1950s, employing locally to
sites is something we have always believed in and something Banks has
always believed in. We’re very much on the same page.”
0 Comments