This follows the publication by the UK Government and Great British Energy of its Local Power Plan, aiming to invest £1 billion in locally owned clean energy projects and ensure communities benefit directly from the schemes they host.
The 2.5 MW turbine in Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire, can contribute over 7,000 MWh of renewable electricity to the country’s energy system per year. That is the equivalent of powering over 2,000 average Scottish homes. Additionally, the development will deliver over 3,000 tonnes of carbon emissions reductions annually.
The project will directly benefit local causes, with all profits from electricity sales going into Radio City’s programme of sustainable development projects that address the need for capital investment in a new Employment Hub, offering employment and training opportunities for local people, improve sustainable transport opportunities and help to address health and educational inequalities locally, as well as upgrading local sports and recreational facilities.
“This has been a long and at times torturous journey for our community, but we have prevailed and come out at the end stronger than we started, with a long-term valuable asset that will pay massive dividends for an area too long ignored for investment by others” said Allan Wilson, Director of ATTIX CIC. “We are now embarking on a different journey but bolstered over the long term by re-investing proceeds from our endeavours back into improving facilities and services locally and addressing some of this area’s many challenges.”
It will also support the charity’s ongoing work to address the substantial fuel poverty in its community through assistance with energy vouchers, distribution of halogen heaters and electric blankets, as well as one to one advice to combat and reduce peoples’ energy bills.
The novel approach to funding the wind turbine provides a blueprint for financing the community-led energy transition from the ground up. It brings together £5.6 million in blended finance – £1.6 million in social investment from Social Investment Scotland and £4 million from Community Energy Catalyst, a £40 million facility managed by Thrive Renewables, in partnership with Better Society Capital. Local Energy Scotland supported the project through planning and design with a loan from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). The project has also received a combination of Great British Energy and Scottish Government grant funding via CARES.
“This is what community energy is all about – giving people a stake in energy generation so profits go to what matters, from tackling fuel poverty to improving local sports facilities in Ayrshire” added The UK Government’s Energy Minister, Michael Shanks. “With Great British Energy we are delivering the biggest public investment in community energy in Britain's history, through our Local Power Plan, so more communities can own and control clean energy projects that deliver benefits for their area.”
ATTIX CIC is a Community Interest Company established and asset locked to Radio City Association Ltd to develop the community turbine in Kilbirnie. As well as this onshore wind turbine, Radio City Association is also developing its wider ‘Electric Valley’ sustainability project including working with Scottish Water in the development of a small-scale hydro site. This will also be used to re-invest back into the local community, promoting sustainable and affordable community transport and energy efficiency.
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