Community Windpower has submitted proposals for a new wind farm that would offer a major boost to Green Recovery in Southern Scotland and enable the region to resolve the climate emergency.
Scoop Hill Community wind farm, located entirely in Dumfries & Galloway, will receive £1.8 billion of economic investment that will be felt in the regional economy, including employment and community benefits, in support of Green Recovery.
This is the third Community renewable energy initiative in Southern Scotland, which will see the company spending a total of £4.05 billion and supplying enough clean green energy to power 1,25 million homes.
The project has drawn support from businesses across the region who rely on these infrastructure projects to support thousands of jobs.
Among them are Grange Quarry and Concrete, AMD Contract Services and RJ McLeod, who directly hire hundreds of people to work on the construction process of onshore wind farms and many more indirectly in the supply chain.
The scheme itself consists of 75 turbines generating 525MW of clean, renewable electricity and will be capable of powering 572,000 homes each year and offsetting 931,000 tons of CO2 each year over its lifetime.
Energy storage facilities will be installed within the wind farm, ensuring that energy is stored during low demand and providing a more stable level of power supply over its 40-year operating life.
The project will also allow the construction of a visitor center and a multi-use wind farm walk, offering a perfect opportunity for people to enjoy the outdoors and learn about the wind farm.
It will also serve as a educational center to raise knowledge and awareness of the climate emergency and how renewable energy initiatives would help to solve the crisis.
The visitor center will be subject to a separate planning application and wider consultation.
In addition, £20 million in community benefits will go directly to the local region for the next 40 years. This will include investment in community organisations, charities, schools, sports teams and companies.
“Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm will provide huge economic and social benefits to Dumfries and Galloway, both during construction and the 40-year operational lifetime.
“However, the benefits of this project are not just limited to directly supporting jobs during the post-Covid Green Recovery, it will also stimulate wider economic growth across the region and deliver 40 years of inward investment.
“Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm will contribute a total of £262.4m in business rates to Dumfries & Galloway Council. This money can support the provision of vital local services and facilities, in turn helping to improve education, employment and socio economics for the local authority area.
“It also provides an opportunity for the region to become a global leader in green energy projects, which will help kick-start the economy and fuel clean growth.
“Additionally, the opportunity to build a visitor centre for Scoop Hill will further provide significant long-term benefits, including jobs, education facilities, tourism and space to support people’s health and mental wellbeing.
“We will be reaching out to the community and look forward to working with them, which is a fantastic opportunity for local people to utilise the wind farm’s community benefits to make their own aspirations a reality.
“The visitor centre will be run as a not-for-profit venture, with any income directed back to running costs and supporting the local community.”
Stuart Walker, community liaison officer at community Windpower.
“RJ McLeod would like to offer their support for the Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm application because we believe the construction of this project will allow companies like ourselves, and the local supply chain, maintain or increase employee numbers in southern Scotland, and the wider Scottish area.
“Renewable energy projects such as this, allow companies to maintain and increase employment levels and provide real jobs, training, and thus an economic benefit at a local level in areas which are often short of external investment and stimulus.
“A project the size of Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm has the potential to provide a very significant boost to the economy of the south of Scotland, and Scotland as a whole; this is particularly the case during the construction period, not only in direct jobs but also in terms of the extensive and valuable supply chain of sub-contracted goods and services.”
Spokesperson for RJ McLeod.
“We’re previously worked with Community Windpower on projects and know first-hand the positive impact Scoop Hill will bring to the regional economy. Projects such as this will inevitably help retain and create valuable and skilled jobs in the local area.
“Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm will significantly help the Green Recovery in this region and also provide extra support and benefits to our local communities.”
Robbie Dodd, operations director at Grange Quarry & Concrete.
“Community Windpower’s contracts has previously given AMD Contract Services Ltd the opportunity to give security for local people’s jobs, have a company policy of employing three apprentices every year and employ people who previously worked in opencast mining in the area.
“I know from previous experience Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm will provide a significant boost to the local economy.”
Fraser Dykes, director at AMD Contract Services.
