Impact on turbine plan unknown
The impact on a Leven wind turbine project is unknown after drinks giant Diageo announced that it plans to expand its site in the town.
On Wednesday, in what came as a massive surprise boost for the local economy, the firm announced plans to create a packaging hall at the site in a move which will create 400 jobs.
The announcement has been met with delight by politicians and community figureheads but the effect on a project by Ore Valley Housing Association to install two wind turbines behind the plant remains unknown.
The turbines, which would generate money for the local economy by selling the electricity generated to the national grid, have been earmarked for construction with funding coming from a mixture of capital grants, government money and a contribution from the Big Lottery Fund.
A spokesman for Ore Valley Housing Association was unsure if Diageo’s expansion plans would have any effect on the project but believed that the firm’s intentions to commit to the Leven area would only be a good thing for their own work.
He said, “We don’t know what the impact will be as yet but there’s certainly plenty of space at the site.
“But we’re not sure of what the potential impact will be on the project we hope to do.
“It can only be a good thing for the area and the expansion might actually benefit our work.”
One of the options open to the turbine developers was to sell half of the electricity generated to the Diageo site with the rest being sold to the national grid.
The funds raised from this would then be passed back into community projects.
Possibly in place by late 2010, it is estimated that over the turbines’ 25 year lifespan, the first 10 would see the surrounding area gain £100,000 per year, rising to as much as £400,000 per year after that.
Each turbine would stand 119 metres high from ground to blade tip.
By Jonathan Watson
3 July 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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