By Ian McConnell Business Editor
CONSTRUCTION of a wind farm extension in Scotland featuring what are
described as the “UK’s tallest onshore wind turbines”, at 200 metres high,
is under way.
Hamilton-based family business Banks Renewables has announced today that
construction work has begun on a 15-turbine extension to the Kype Muir wind
farm in South Lanarkshire, around five kilometres south of Strathaven,
after it secured new funding agreements with Greencoat UK Wind at the start
of the year.
The extension will complement the 26-turbine Kype Muir wind farm, which has
been operational since 2019, and they will together have a combined
installed capacity of 155 megawatts, which would be enough to meet the
annual electricity needs of around 112,000 homes – or a city larger than
Aberdeen
Manufacturer Nordex has been contracted to supply and install the turbines
for the project, while the balance of plant contract has been agreed with
Scottish civil engineering contractor R J McLeod, as was the case with the
original Kype Muir wind farm.
Richard Dunkley, managing director at Banks Renewables, said: “This is a
landmark project for both ourselves and the wider Scottish renewable energy
sector as we continue to increase our contribution to the UK’s journey
towards net zero and COP26.
“The Kype Muir extension will be the first site in the UK to use highly
efficient 200m turbines and will have an average output per turbine of
15GWh (gigawatt hours) per year, compared to an average of 9GWh per annum
on the existing Kype Muir turbines, which will substantially increase the
amount of renewable energy that the wind farm can produce.”
Around 90 jobs will be supported through the construction of the Kype Muir
extension, while contracts worth up to £10m are expected to be available to
local suppliers in the surrounding area, Banks Renewables noted..
A new community fund linked to the Kype Muir extension scheme is also
expected to deliver around £10m in funding for community improvement
projects around the local area over the site’s 30-year lifespan, according
to Banks Renewables.
Mr Dunkley highlighted Banks Renewables’ appetite for further developments.
He said: “Onshore wind represents the best value for money to consumers as
we continue to bring forward new renewable energy developments that support
the Scottish and UK governments’ net zero and climate-change obligations,
and we plan to deploy more renewables which will continue to play a key
role in delivering the UK’s lowest-cost low-carbon energy.
“We’re proud that an organisation as well regarded as Greencoat UK Wind
shares our vision for the delivery of the Kype Muir extension and their
investment package is a real expression of confidence in the quality and
impact of our plans.”
0 Comments