County Durham based renewable energy developer celebrates “major milestone”

North East renewable energy developer Banks Renewables has reached a major milestone after completing the erection of its 100th onshore wind turbine, which is also the tallest and most efficient ever seen in the UK.

The County Durham headquartered family firm reached the landmark at the site of its Kype Muir Extension Wind Farm, a 15-turbine scheme in South Lanarkshire which is due to begin generating clean energy early in the new year and which will be able to meet the annual electricity needs of around 53,700 households when fully operational.

To mark the occasion, Banks Renewables welcomed Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to the Kype Muir Extension Wind Farm site to see the first of its eight 200m turbines being connected and to discuss the future of renewable energy with members of Banks’ expert team.

More than 480,000 MWh of green electricity was generated during Banks Renewables’ last financial year from its portfolio of 10 onshore wind farms across Scotland and the north of England, which is enough to meet the annual electricity needs of over 155,000 homes, or a conurbation around one and a half times the size of Newcastle.

The wind farms also contribute over £817k between them every year to community benefits funds linked to each location, which provide financial support for a range of community, environmental and skills projects being undertaken by groups and good causes in their respective surrounding areas.

During her visit to the Kype Muir Extension Wind Farm site, Nicola Sturgeon commented: “Onshore wind is the biggest source of renewable energy in Scotland, making it a vital part of our mission to become a net zero economy by 2045.

“In addition to being a cheap and reliable source of electricity that harnesses one of our most abundant resources, onshore wind can also help us meet that target in a way that benefits communities, through the creation of high-quality jobs, and investment in local businesses and supply chains, as part of a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.”

Alongside its existing 10 onshore wind farms and others which are being developed in Scotland, Banks Renewables is also currently looking to deploy further renewable energy technologies at a number of new sites.

It recently announced plans for a “groundbreaking” new green energy hub at the former Thorpe Marsh power station site near Doncaster which would involve the deployment of what is thought to be the “largest battery energy storage system currently being planned in the UK, and one of the largest anywhere in the world”.

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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