For Argyll

Following the planning consent granted on 7th May by the Mid Argyll, Kintye and Islands Area Committee, the energy company concerned, Novera, have announced that they expect the twenty-turbine A Chruach site WNW of Minard, to be in operation by 2011. When fully operational it will generate 40 to 46MW - enough renewable electricity for over 25,500 households. This covers around 64% of the population of the county.

Novera’s Project Director, Tertia Waters, in a Press Release, confirms that the project represents an investment of £55 million and that the company is committed, where possible, to using local contractors. She estimates that the construction phase of the project will support around fourteen jobs and that, over the twenty-five year life of the wind farm, it will contribute £1.2 million per annum to the Argyll economy.

Novera’s expertise to date lies largely in the field of creating renewable energy from processing gas from landfill sites. Landfill gas is a mixture of methane and CO2 and is derived from the natural anaerobic breakdown of the biomass material contained in the waste within the landfill site. The gas is collected, treated and then used to generate electricity on site. Novera currently have 46 such sites, together producing 87MW.

Against this statistic, it is interesting to note that, when it’s up and running, the A Chruach site will alone generate 40 - 46MW. This will make it the single most productive source of renewable energy in the company’s portfolio. It will provide a significant contribution to Novera’s target to have 250MW of new generation in operation by 2011.