The first turbines of a windfarm which will generate enough electricity to power almost 170,000 homes in southern Scotland have been installed.  

Five towering green energy generators have now been built at North Kyle, near New Cumnock in East Ayrshire as part of the North Kyle development.  

When fully operational in October next year the 49 wind turbines will generate enough green energy to power the equivalent of 168,000 homes each year. 

The wind farm is part of a development to regenerate one of Scotland’s largest surface coal mining sites, which formerly occupied the site.  

It is estimated that the windfarm will also generate £65 million in Community Benefit funds over the project’s lifetime. 

Elaine Stewart, MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock praised developers Brockwell Energy for their collaborative approach, saying: “The installation of the first turbines is an important milestone for this flagship project that shows how important it is to have local communities at the heart of developing onshore windfarms.  

“Brockwell’s pioneering and collaborative approach is an example to learn from. The 9CC Group model for administering and coordinating Community Benefit funds is also something to celebrate. 

“The wind sector is key for the achievement of our clean energy and climate goals, but we need to make sure we do this in a fair and supportive environment – and most importantly by taking local communities into account and supporting them in the transition.” 

Speaking at an event to mark the installation of the first five turbines, she said: “Building legacies for former coal mine communities is one of my priorities as an MP. If coordinated correctly the benefits from this scheme and other surrounding schemes will bring substantial and long-standing benefits to the area. 

“The game-changing sums of long-term funding that will arise over the next 40 years will need to be carefully managed to ensure they provide lasting legacy. It is an exciting opportunity but also one that is very challenging and will need careful and transparent governance and management. 

“The current model of developer-led consultation is increasingly falling short as schemes proliferate. This is where bodies like 9CC Group are needed.” 

Elaine Stewart, fifth from left, with guest at the event. Elaine Stewart, fifth from left, with guest at the event. (Image: Colin Mearns)

The newly elected MP was joined on the visit to the site by Kilmarnock and Loudon MP Lillian Jones, Carol Mochan MSP for South Scotland, and other local elected members from across the political spectrum. 

Each turbine has a maximum tip height of 149.9m. North Kyle, located 5.5km east of Patna, 6km west of New Cumnock and 2.5km south of Skares, will have a 40-year working lifespan. 

Community Benefit is being managed by the 9CC Group, a charitable trust uniting the nine communities of Auchinleck; Cumnock; Ochiltree and Skares; Drongan, Rankinson and Stair; New Cumnock; Cronberry, Lugar and Logan; Dalmellington; Patna; and Netherthird. 

Group chair Alex Baird said: “The event not only marks a significant stage in the development of the site but also provides an opportunity to thank Brockwell Energy for their collaborative approach to Community Benefit. 

“From the outset, they have been pro-active supporters and crucially provided £880k in advance funding to help establish our organisation and ensure our local communities benefitted - even before the money from these turbines was planned to come onstream. 

“That’s a powerful statement about Brockwell’s commitment to this area and a welcome endorsement of the work the 9CC Group does on behalf of the people who live, work and play in our communities."

FACT FILE 

  • · North Kyle is the biggest onshore wind farm currently in construction in the UK. 
  • · There will be a total of 49 Vestas V136/4.5 MW wind turbines, which will generate enough green energy to power the equivalent of 168,000 homes each year. 
  • · Each turbine has a maximum tip height of 149.9m 
  • · The total generation capacity is 220.5 megawatts 
  • · The project will be fully operational by October 2025. 
  • · North Kyle will deliver a total of £65 million in community benefit over its 40-year working lifespan. 
  • · The site is located 5.5km east of Patna, 6km west of New Cumnock and 2.5km south of Skares 
  • · Brockwell Energy has been developing the flagship site since 2016 

Iain Cockburn, Chief Financial Officer of Brockwell Energy said: “Beyond the enormous boost to the UK’s drive to a net zero future, we are proud that North Kyle is already delivering restoration, regeneration and community benefit for the local area. No project has ever delivered so much benefit before it even starts generating. 

“The project has been a huge undertaking on a challenging former mining site and is the culmination of years of teamwork with a large number of local stakeholders. I’d like to thank the 9CC Group team for their individual time, effort and commitment to ensure that communities can take control and coordinate community benefits money from North Kyle and other schemes to ensure they deliver long-term legacy benefits that will make a real and enduring difference to their communities. “ 

Brockwell Energy’s senior project manager Richard Buckland said: “We are not only building a wind farm but we are also helping re-generate an old opencast coal site. You will all be aware of the history of North Kyle and the legacy that the collapse of the coal mining industry has left. North Kyle doesn’t fix all that but I can say with absolute certainty that we will be leaving the site in a far better state than when we started. 

“The huge ugly haul roads have been narrowed and reprofiled. Large areas of land that had no topsoils have been re-profiled and spread with excess peat to allow broadleaf planting. This will allow the site to quickly green up and significantly improve ecology diversity. 

“This restoration benefits delivered just by the construction was estimated to be worth £2.6m. We have already far exceeded that amount and carried out a lot more work than planned on the road improvements. 

“In addition, we have provided another £2.6m in cash funding to East Ayrshire Council to continue the restoration effort and a further £600k to undertake broadleaf planting. 

“We are already seeing wildlife coming back to the site despite the construction. The return and successful breeding of our resident Osprey sets an optimistic note for the future ecological improvements around the site.” 

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Ms Stewart, whose maiden speech and first question at Westminster focussed on giving support for coalfield communities, told event guests: “The UK Government has committed to doubling onshore wind energy by 2030. The North Kyle Wind Farm, thanks to Brockwell Energy and the 9CC Group, will play an important role in helping the Government achieve this objective. 

“No project on this scale is without its challenges, but by listening and working with local communities, windfarms like this can bring substantial benefits to the area. Most importantly, they must leave a positive legacy. The focus must be on long-standing benefits to enrich communities.” 

“I am currently Vice Chair of the Coalfields Community Group of MPs, representing Scottish MPS in Parliament. This is a great example of a legacy-building regeneration project and one that colleagues in Westminster will be keen to learn more about.” 

Mr Baird added: “Each of these nine communities are impacted by windfarm developments either under construction or planned to be sited nearby. We cannot have ten different developers each consulting with communities and making decisions about where money is spent. That lack of coordination will lead to sub-optimal decisions. Developers such as Brockwell, Invenergy and OnPath understand that obvious point. Our role at the 9CC group is to coordinate – to ensure the communities all benefit both individually and collectively by aligning the Community Benefit to meet the needs of each individual community and the wider strategic plan for the area. 

“There are lessons to be learned from the industrial heritage of the former coal-mining communities of Cumnock and Doon Valley and we are delighted that Brockwell, not only understand that imperative, but are fully engaged in working collaboratively with our communities in powering a better future. 

“9CC Group’s pioneering and innovative approach to managing and distributing community benefit is logical and is gaining positive recognition and support at a local, regional and national level. It is increasingly untenable to leave developers to lead their own consultation and decision making on community benefit when there are so many projects and developers operating around our communities.” 

The 9CC Group manages and administers community benefit funding in a locally democratic , fair and equitable way and by working collaboratively for the whole area. It empowers communities to make their own decisions based on local needs and supports them to deliver benefits and improvements by working collaboratively towards a shared strategic vision. 

Mr Baird added: “We aim to create a legacy for our communities and build a better place to live, work, play and visit, improving the lives of residents by investing in their economic, social and environmental wellbeing and ensuring funding decisions are based on local needs and local knowledge.”