PLANS for an ambitious £300m onshore wind farm have been unveiled by Banks Renewables in a scoping report submitted to South Lanarkshire Council.
At 300MW generating capacity, the wind farm would be the UK’s third largest by electricity generated. 300MW is enough to meet the electricity needs of a city the equivalent size of Dundee. This wind farm, at Bodinglee, will consist of up to 60 of the latest, most efficient turbines available.
The proposed wind farm, at Bodinglee, will be situated in South Lanarkshire, either side of the M74 between Douglas and Abington – not far from Banks’ wind farms at Kype and Middle Muir. The site is situated on farmland owned by the Douglas and Angus Estates.
Bodinglee is the latest, and largest, project from the Hamilton-based employer and has the potential to deliver £80m worth of contracts to local firms, directly support around 500 jobs and displace over 150,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. This is the equivalent of taking over 58,000 petrol cars off the road.
Banks is keen to reproduce its successful Connect2Renewables South Lanarkshire initiative which is currently creating employment opportunities for those living close to its Kype and Middle Muir wind farms. Banks are starting this process by letting people know as early as possible – with the publication of a scoping report – with a view to hosting initial consultations in the first half of 2021.
Gordon Thomson, head of projects with Banks Renewables, said: “This is a big project and will make a significant contribution to Scotland reaching #netzero by 2045. Onshore wind is a proven technology and the lowest cost renewable energy, helping keep consumers’ bills low.”
“As part of development with care approach we strongly believe that the local communities that host our projects should benefit the most from them. We want the local community involved right from the beginning and so have launched an online consultation so that we can hear their views from now on.”
“The size of this project means that there could be investment through a community fund of up to £45m over the life of the project, and we want to work with local people to ensure we deliver a long-lasting positive legacy for those living in the area.”
Over the next few years Banks will be commissioning surveys of the local area as they look to design the layout of the wind farm.
Banks will use their experience and knowledge of the onshore wind sector industry to deliver a wind farm that is sympathetic to the local landscape and as efficient as possible.
To join in the online consultation and to find out more about the project, please visit: https://www.banksgroup.co.uk/projects/renewables/bodinglee-wind-farm/
