Community Wind Turbine
Description:
The construction of a 900kW turbine at Kingarly Hill, Rousay, which is expected to generate a Community Trust Fund of £2.7 million over the next 20 years.
What has happened so far:
- November 2008: Granted planning permission by Orkney Islands Council, on 5 November 2008.
- October 2009: Secured a Grid Connection.
- October 2009: Application for funding submitted to BIG Lottery Fund.
- February 2010: In a postal vote, in which 68% of voters in the community responded, 80% of returned voting slips were in favour of the turbine.
- February 2010: The Trust received £435,000 from the BIG Lottery Fund, providing some of the funds needed for installation.
- May 2010: Anemometry Mast constructed at the site, to give a clear indication of the turbine's earning potential.
- June 2010: Part-Time Turbine Development Officer (Michelle Koster) appointed, on a 2-year contract.
- August 2010: The Trust's trading subsidiary, REWIRED Ltd. opted to take out a £1.2 million commercial loan with the Co-Operative Bank, providing the remainder of the
required funds for the installation of the turbine.
- September 2010: Northwind Associates Ltd is revealed as the Joint Project Management Team for 'Community Power Orkney' - a consortium to which the Trust is a member for
the purpose of this project, along with four other community groups, from the islands of Eday, Hoy, Shapinsay and Stronsay. These islands are all currently in the
process of installing community wind turbines too.
- October 2010: Formal loan offer, for the sum of £1.2 million, arrived from the Co-Operative Bank.
- October 2010: Lows Orkney announced as the appointed solicitors for this project.
- December 2010: Topographical, soil and geology surveys completed on the site of the turbine.
- February 2011: DS Nicolsons appointed as the contractors to build an access track up to the turbine, following completion of an 'invitation to tender' process.
- April 2011: DS Nicolsons commence work on the turbine's access track.
- June 2011: Access track completed.
- August 2011: The turbine arrives on Rousay via pontoon on 6 August 2011. It is removed from the pontoon overnight via lorry.
- August 2011: The turbine has been constructed on-site.
- September 2011: Two 'Turbine Responders' recruited: Richard Munro; and Jess Tunbridge.
- October 2011: The turbine starts generating electricity.
- March 2012: The turbine is declared 'open' by pupils at Rousay Community School, at an official Opening Ceremony, on 31 March 2012.
What happens next:
- The turbine will generate electricity, which will provide the funds for a range of community projects.
What will happen:
- The Trust has outlined a number of expected 'outcomes' from this project, and, briefly, they are as follows:
- To "be a more able, sustainable, enterprising and self-reliant community", by "deliver[ing] the local community development plan".
- To reduce fuel poverty in our community by 50%, by the year 2015.
- To create "50 training and 20 employment opportunities within our community by 2015."
- To give "100 young, elderly and non-car owners" in our community "increased access to improved services and amenities" at the Community Halls on each of Rousay, Egilsay and
Wyre, "and to external facilities", by 2015, "using bursaries, information technologies and low-carbon transport solutions".
- To reduce CO2 production in our community by over 25,500 tonnes "over the lifetime of the project", by both making use of technology and encouraging "behaviour changes".
Main Contact(s) for this Project:
- Turbine Development Officer (Michelle Koster)
Links to relevant Around Rousay news articles:
Community votes in favour of wind turbine ;
Development Trust gets funding boost
Anemometry Mast constructed on Kingarly Hill ;
Another job opportunity with the Development Trust
Rousay's Big Turbine arrives on the island ;
Two new jobs created for the Big Turbine
Links to Relevant Documents:
Big Lottery Fund Application;
Invitation to Tender (Joint Project Management Team);
Turbine Responders (Official Job Advert)
Click here to go back to the list of Development Trust projects.
- To "be a more able, sustainable, enterprising and self-reliant community", by "deliver[ing] the local community development plan".
- To reduce fuel poverty in our community by 50%, by the year 2015.
- To create "50 training and 20 employment opportunities within our community by 2015."
- To give "100 young, elderly and non-car owners" in our community "increased access to improved services and amenities" at the Community Halls on each of Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre, "and to external facilities", by 2015, "using bursaries, information technologies and low-carbon transport solutions".
- To reduce CO2 production in our community by over 25,500 tonnes "over the lifetime of the project", by both making use of technology and encouraging "behaviour changes".
