Island plan to build the biggest community owned wind farm in Britain
Point and Sandwick Power have submitted a planning application to build the biggest community- owned wind farm in Britain on common grazings outside Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
The Company Chair is Cllr Donald J MacSween.
Mr MacSween said: “We have submitted a planning application to build a community owned wind farm at Beinn Greidaig, south of the junction of the Pentland Road and the A858, 5 km west of Stornoway.
“It will be located on common grazings which are currently used for crofter forestry by the village of Sandwick North Street. It has been selected for its good wind conditions, good grid connection potential, and because it does not fall within any designated areas of environmental or of landscape importance.”
“We will install three 3MW turbines with a total maximum generating capacity of 9MW.
“This would be the biggest community owned wind farm yet built in Britain, enough to supply almost 7,000 homes, and we expect it to provide half a million pounds profit a year, every penny of which will be re-invested in the community.
“We will invest that money in projects in the Point and Sandwick districts of Lewis but we are very mindful of our wider responsibility to assist the rest of the Western Isles as well.”
The income will be gift-aided to a community owned Development Trust which will be set up later this year after consultation with the Point and Sandwick Community Councils, and with the Western Isles Development Trust.
Added Mr MacSween: “We have had positive meetings with SNH (Scottish Natural Heritage) and with the RSPB and a final study into adjacent red diver sites will be concluded in September.
Data analysis so for indicates that the wind farm will have no significant effects upon wildlife habitats and the location is an area of boggy moorland character which SNH have determined is the most suited visually for wind farms.”
Point and Sandwick Power is the trading name of Point Power and Energy Company Ltd, a 100% community owned renewable energy company set up in 2005 after a series of local public meetings.
Membership of the company is open to all electors in the peninsula, from Sandwick village in the west to Tiumpan Head in the east.
Cllr MacSween concluded: “The construction and installation of the wind farm will cost around £11 million, which is obviously a lot for a small community to have to raise on the commercial markets but I am confident we can do it.”
29 August 2008
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