THE first consultations for a proposed energy park near Eastriggs, which would contain four 230 metre tall wind turbines, were held this week.
West Scales Wind Farm Ltd (WSW) want to create a site with four wind turbines, each with a blade tip height of 230 metres; as well as solar panels, covering an area up to 44 hectares; and a potential Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility, to help balance the supply.
At the well attended events, WSW, a fully owned entity of Eurowind Energy, who themselves are owned by Holdings Aps and Denmark energy and telecom group Norlys, introduced the plans and listened to feedback from the public.
The approximate generation capacity of the whole park is expected to be up to 48.8MW. Its electricity generation would be enough to power 57,000 homes per year, while saving approximately 81,500 tonnes of CO2. West Scales Farm lies approximately 1.5 km north east of Eastriggs.
Eurowind Energy development manager Kevin Lawlor said: “This is the first launch of the scheme.
“It’s important that people share their views as this will feedback into the final design.
“As part of the energy park aspect of it, we have wind and solar. That’s to maximise connection to the grid. The Battery Energy Storage System is there to balance it out.”
The energy company say they are committed to making a positive impact on the community.
Should the project receive the green light, then a community benefit fund will be available – potentially worth £144,000 a year.
Kevin added: “We operate on a £5000 per installed megawatt of wind. With the current scheme, that’s £144,000 per annum.
“Part of the public consultation is to see how that money can be spent in the community.
“We don’t as of yet know how that will be administered. We have consulted with the Eastriggs Community Group and Devil’s Porridge Museum.”
This first round consultation will be followed by another public event before a planning application is submitted to Dumfries and Galloway Council.
If approved, construction would likely begin in 2028.
The energy park would have a lifespan of up to 40 years.
Eurowind would also would look to include businesses from the area during the construction phase.
