Mold-based renewable energy business West Coast Energy is celebrating after receiving planning permission to build a new 10MW wind farm in north east Scotland.
The decision to grant planning permission for the 4 turbine Cairnborrow Wind Farm was made by Aberdeenshire Council on 19th August.
The wind farm, located near the town of Huntly, is projected to generate enough renewable electricity to meet the annual domestic electricity consumption equivalent to around 5,700 homes.
And local communities in the area will also directly benefit from the generation of local renewable electricity, via a £1.3million community fund generated by a 10% share of the wind farm profits.
The funding will be administered via the company’s partnership with the local Huntly Development Trust, who will work with local communities to ensure that the operational profits from the wind farm are invested in agreed schemes and initiatives. Part of the community benefit fund will also be targeted towards initiatives that help tackle fuel poverty in the region.
Steve Salt, Planning and Public Affairs Director at West Coast Energy, said:
“We are delighted that the Members of the Marr Area Committee agreed with the planning officer’s recommendation and voted unanimously in favour to the grant of planning permission for Cairnborrow Wind Farm. We have a great team here in Mold and this is a real success for our business.
Community partnerships are extremely important for developing our renewable energy resources and West Coast Energy will now be working hard with the Huntly Development Trust and the local community to ensure that the environmental, social and economic benefits of the development are delivered at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Closer to home, West Coast Energy submitted a planning application for a single turbine project at Nant Y Ffrith near Bwlchgwyn in August 2013. if approved, the turbine will generate electricity to power the equivalent of around 270 homes, and will deliver a £30,000 community benefit fund to support initiatives such as tackling fuel poverty in Flintshire.
Some of this money is also proposed to be utilized to continue West Coast Energy’s support for the arts in Flintshire.
