Six exhibitions will be held across the local area from 1st to 3rd May. They will follow the first round of exhibitions, held in March 2017, in which the company set out the initial proposals for the project. The initial design for the wind farm was to incorporate 63 wind turbines, but subsequent consultation and assessment now suggest the site has the capacity to accommodate around 50 turbines, with an installed generating capacity of around 250 MW. The updated proposals to be shown at the May 2018 Public Exhibition will illustrate a turbine layout of 47 turbines for further consultation and feedback.
The feedback received following the initial round of exhibitions and from a wide range of consultees, has been used to carefully inform and shape the revised proposals that will be on show at the May Exhibitions. The public will once again be invited to view an innovative 3-D model of the site. This will provide a visual representation of how the turbines would appear in the landscape, based on their current design.
Force 9 Energy will also provide information regarding the community benefit fund for the project and, separately, a proposed community ownership opportunity, for which discussions are ongoing with the local community groups across the whole of Moray.
The six exhibitions will be held on:
Tuesday 1st May 2018- 12:00pm-3:00pm: Elgin Town Hall, Elgin (IV30 1UL)
Tuesday 1st May 2018- 5:00pm-8:00pm: Edinkillie Community Hall, Dunphail (IV36 2QW)
Wednesday 2nd May 2018- 12:00pm- 3:00pm: Archiestown Village Hall (AB38 7QZ)
Wednesday 2nd May 2018- 5:00pm- 8:00pm: Houldsworth Institute, Dallas (IV36 2SA)
Thursday, 3rd May 2018 -11:00am-2:00pm: The Grant Arms Hotel, Grantown-on-Spey (PH26 3HF)
Thursday, 3rd May 2018- 4:00pm- 7:30pm: Forres Town Hall, Forres (IV36 1PB)
The site of the proposed wind farm is 12 kilometres south of Forres, southwest, north and east of the Berry Burn wind farm which is operational and was also developed by Force 9 Energy. The company’s project partner, EDF Energy Renewables has committed to paying a community benefit package at the prevailing Scottish Government recommended rate, currently £5,000 per Mega Watt of installed capacity, for every year of operation (anticipated to be 25 years) to help fund local community projects.
It may also be possible to ‘capitalise’ some of the available community benefit funding so that more of it is paid up front, rather than annually. This would allow larger capital projects, such as new community buildings or provision of enhanced broadband, to be contemplated.
EDF ER is also considering providing an opportunity for up to 5 percent Community Ownership of the wind farm through a Revenue Sharing Agreement. This would allow participating local communities to buy a stake in the wind farm and thus to share in the profits of the project over the whole of its operational lifetime.
Image: Berry Burn wind farm (Force 9 Energy)
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