Windfarm would 'transform valley economy', say developers

by LESTER CROSS

Developers promoting a £417 million windfarm project in rural Roxburghshire have reduced the number of turbines in their scheme from 62 to 53, and have scrapped plans for a solar array in revised proposals lodged with the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit.

Consultants commissioned by Teviot Wind Farm Ltd., an offshoot of Muirhall Energy, claim in an Economic and Community Impact report that the 350 MW wind farm in the countryside, near Hawick, would transform the economy of Teviotdale and Liddesdale.

If the vast project receives the approval of Scottish Ministers it is also likely to have a considerable environment impact on the area, given the list of measures included in the application documents.

The developers are seeking 40-year consent for (among other things): crane hard standings adjacent to each turbine; up to three permanent steel lattice anemometer masts of up to 149.9 metres in height; two substations and control buildings (also comprising energy storage facilities). 

In addition, the plans allow for 31 watercourse crossings (nine new and 22 upgrades) and associated infrastructure i.e. culverts; some 36 kilometres of new access tracks; 12 kilometres of upgrading existing tracks; and associated ancillary engineering works. 

The applicant's documentation states: "In addition to the above components associated with the operation of the revised development, construction will also require the following components: the creation of up to six temporary borrow pits for the extraction of stone (subject to detailed site investigation); three temporary construction compounds; three temporary concrete batching facilities anticipated to be located within borrow pits; a temporary helipad for health and safety purposes during construction". 

Construction of the windfarm would also require junction widening to access the site off the A7 and upgrading part of Priesthaugh Road; and felling approximately 206 hectares of forestry to deliver the components associated with the revised development. 

The economic impact report from specialists Biggar Economics calculates total development and construction costs for the Teviot wind farm of £417.5 million means Teviot and Liddesdale could secure contracts worth £8.8 million and the Scottish Borders, £41.7 million.

In addition to the economic impact generated throughout the construction and operation of the windfarm, a community investment package of £7,000 per Mega Watt [MW] would provide £2.5 million per year for the local community. 

"This level of funding is significantly above the Scottish Government’s guidance on community benefit. Non-domestic rates payments from the proposed development of £4 million a year, equivalent to around £159.5 million over the lifetime of the project."

But the range of benefits claimed by the developers does not stop there.

According to the Biggar report: "Muirhall Energy has ambitious plans to transform the economy and community of Teviot and Liddesdale which go beyond the construction and operation of the proposed development itself and aim to address long term issues such as demographic decline and low productivity. 

"Through work with the local community, Muirhall Energy have identified the following areas for investment: 

"▪ education and training: including an apprenticeship scheme for young people to work on the Proposed Development and bursaries to support young people into further education and to take driving lessons; 

"▪ infrastructure: regenerating the town centres by funding the redevelopment of abandoned shops; 

"▪ energy and connectivity: working with industry professionals to reduce electricity costs and address fuel poverty in the area, help local farms diversify into producing greenhouse crops, support the development of e-bikes and an electric dial-a-bus service in Teviot and Liddesdale and improve local internet connectivity; and 

"▪ environment: sponsoring a bee hive per turbine through Plan Bee Ltd, allowing Scotland to benefit from the pollination of flowers and helping fund local community orchards and woodland to give people high quality natural places to enjoy."

Kelly Wyness, Senior Project Manager at Muirhall Energy, told the website RENEWS.BIZ: “We have taken on board the feedback from our public consultation events and submissions from statutory consultees, and worked closely with our landscape architects to create a revised layout which significantly reduces the number of turbines and visibility of the development from the A7.

“While we are now proposing fewer turbines, the project would still make an important contribution towards Scotland’s renewable energy and climate change targets and deliver a significant community benefit fund to be invested in the local area.

“We remain totally committed to offering local communities the opportunity to take an ownership stake in the wind farm, which would provide further revenues for the local area, something we successfully delivered on our Crossdykes Wind Farm in Dumfries and Galloway.

“The project also has the potential to support the restoration and enhancement of the equivalent of 390 rugby pitches of degraded peatland, and would see the planting of native tree species in a number of areas across the site.”