The UK tallest onshore wind farms set to be built near New Cumnock will have capacity to power over 80,000 homes, according to the team behind the plans.
We reported last week how OnPath Energy, formally known as Banks Renewables, had been granted permission from the Scottish Government to install 10 new turbines at its Lethans wind farm extension site on the outskirts of New Cumnock.
The additional turbines which are up to 251m tall and up to 170m in diameter will be added to the 22 turbines that were originally approved for its Lethans site.
READ MORE: Plans for 'UK's largest wind turbines' near New Cumnock granted approval
OnPath held a series of public consultations on the plans, which the company said received no objections.
The extension, which has a rated capacity of approximately 60MW, consists of 10 ultra-powerful turbines and will result in the displacement of around 45,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, equivalent to removing 22,000 petrol cars from the roads.
It's also set to to generate upwards of £9million in community funds throughout its lifespan of 30 years.
Despite no public objections, national group Scotland Against Spin were opposed to the plans, calling them destructive.
Regardless, Sustainability and Environment Director at OnPath, Robin Winstanley said the new plans can help in the fight towards sustainablility.
He said: “The additional turbines at the site will bring a wealth of environmental, social and economic benefits to the local community, creating a £9m community fund to be distributed to local initiatives around the area.
“Renewable technologies enable us to generate clean energy that has a lower environmental impact than conventional technologies and we are very proud that the Lethans Wind Farm extension will only add to this.”
OnPath says the local economy stands to gain enormously from the further investment, with an estimated £178m (around 60 per cent of the total spend) projected to be spent within 60km of the site.
This estimate is based on the average projected local spend between three OnPath wind farms, with independent consultant Biggar Economics calculating the lifetime economic impact of OnPath’s Wind Farm developments.
In addition, Lethans is expected to deliver 400 jobs during the construction phase.
Robin added: “When designing the wind farm extension, it was really important for us to keep the community front of mind and this is why we have involved them in every step of the way.
“There is still a long way to go in the fight against climate change, however we are looking forward to ensuring that we continue developing plans for renewable energy production as we work towards the country’s ambitious net zero targets.”
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