Banks Renewables’ proposal for permission to erect some of the most powerful onshore wind turbines has finally been approved. The project will be located in the UK at Mill Rig Wind Farm, close to Darvel in East Ayrshire. It is expected to be operational in three years.
Six powerful wind turbines with an installed generation capacity of about 36 MW will be located at Mill Rig. It will be located on the boundary of South Lanarkshire and East Ayrshire. This is enough electricity to power all the homes in a town the size of East Kilbride.
Mill Rig Wind Farm project’s impacts on the neighborhood
In addition to producing necessary clean, green electricity, Banks Renewables‘ new £40 million project will remove about 7,000 petrol cars’ worth of CO2 yearly, or over 18,000 tonnes, from the UK’s electrical supply grid.
Sustainability and external affairs manager Robin Winstanley of Banks Renewables said: “For Mill Rig Wind Farm project, receiving planning approval is a significant accomplishment. We are thrilled that South Lanarkshire Council has accepted these innovative plans. This is because the development will have a positive social, environmental, and community impact on the neighborhood.”
The Hamilton-based renewable energy company had community meetings throughout the development process. Furthermore, it will establish a local community fund that is anticipated to generate up to £180,000 in revenue annually, or £5.4 million during the project’s anticipated 30-year lifespan.
Local contracts worth £11.7 million will boost the local economy during construction. Business rates worth £18 million are also anticipated to be poured into the public coffers. Additionally, the development will support many jobs over its entire lifespan.
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The UK’s green electricity ambitions
In addition to producing much-needed clean, green electricity for Scotland, the project will also give local people and organizations funds to support the expansion of significant initiatives that will benefit the areas close to the Mill Rig Wind Farm, according to Robin.
Mill Rig Wind Farm is on course to assist Scotland to reach its ambitious net zero ambitions. Thus it will bolster the UK’s energy security by producing green electricity by 2025. This is according to the following steps of the project’s detailed design and construction.
After the Lethans Wind Farm’s approval in 2020 and the Kype Muir Wind Farm’s grid connection three years earlier, this project will be the newest for Banks Renewables. Once construction is finished, Mill Rig will become Banks’ fourth operational Scottish development.
