A NEW wind turbine that will help provide thousands of pounds for the Gatehouse community was officially put into operation this week.
The turbine at Cream o’ Galloway’s Rainton Farm will provide around a third of the annual power needs of the company and will generate 50 kilowatts per hour if the wind speed is 27 miles per hour, with the farm on average needing 30 kilowatts per hour to function.
The firm will pay Gatehouse Development Initiative for the electricity they use. Any excess will be sold to the National Grid, with the profits also going to the GDI.
The Initiative’s Ken Smyth said: “It is very important for Gatehouse as it will help provide a funding stream for local projects.
“The turbine is expected to be operational for a 25 year span, so it will provide an annual income to fund small projects and prime bigger ones.”
Cream o’ Galloway’s Wilma Finlay added: “If it’s a windy weekend we don’t need to use any electricty from the mains.
“The turbine demonstrates our commitment to renewable energy.
“It is the perfect size to suit the energy needs of the factory while minimising impact on the outstanding local environment, which is of course central to everything we do at Cream o’ Galloway.
“We’re delighted to work in partnership with GDI on this exciting project, which reduces our carbon footprint and, through the funds generated, will provide an asset base to enable a range of community projects to attract match funding.”
The turbine cost just over £100,000 to build through grants from Leader+ and the Scottish Executive’s Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative.
The original plan had been for two smaller turbines made in Ayrshire to be put up, but the SCHRI insisted that the best value for money turbine was built.
The propellers in the new turbine had to be shipped from Atlantic Orient Canada, but the 25 metre shaft was made in Scotland.
Local SCHRI development officer Joe Fergusson said: “This project is particularly interesting because of its structure. Rather than simply saving the community group’s energy costs, as is typically the case, it will provide income for other purposes. We hope the turbine should produce around 65,000 kilowatt hours each year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 840 tonnes over its design life.
“Also, this is the first turbine of this size to be funded by the SCHRI so its performance, to be carefully monitored by Cream o’ Galloway, will be of great interest to other community groups.”
Barbara Kelly of Leader+ added: “I hope this is the first of many such projects.
“Having been here for the opening of the visitor centre many years ago it gives me great pleasure to see its continuing development.
“This partnership with the local community is an excellent example to other rural businesses and one which Leader+ was pleased to support.”
