Argyll and Bute communities offered wind farm stake
Renewable energy developer, Galileo, and Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Energy Agency (ALIenergy), have signed an agreement that will pursue opportunities to give local communities the chance to take a financial stake in Corr Chnoc Wind Farm.
The proposed 12-turbine scheme is located on land at Dunach Estate. Situated approximately 2km northeast of Kilmore and 5km east of the centre of Oban, Corr Chnoc Wind Farm will have a total generating capacity of up to 75 megawatts (MW). It will be supported by a battery energy storage system (BESS), with a storage capacity of up to 30MW.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has now been signed between Galileo, and Oban-based charity ALIenergy, seeking to deliver a financial vehicle that will allow the community to gain shared ownership of the wind farm. ALIenergy was established to ensure sustainable energy use and generation to the benefit of individuals, communities and the local economy, and to combat fuel poverty.
The MoU will see the charity spearhead the establishment of a community financial vehicle (the Shared Ownership Vehicle), capable of investing in the wind farm and giving the community the opportunity to take an up to 10 per cent stake in it.
The signing comes in advance of a meeting being held on Monday 16th September at the Rockfield Centre in Oban. At this, ALIenergy, The Resource Collective and Local Energy Scotland will update on activities concerning community ownership that have been taking place since a previous meeting in February, and how Oban and Lorn could benefit.
The Resource Collective is a social enterprise, providing advice, support and a voice for community and economic development in the Western Highlands. Local Energy Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to help community groups become involved in renewables, and is its adviser on shared ownership, assisting in providing professional advice and support to communities.
By participating in shared ownership of the Corr Chnoc Wind Farm project, communities have the opportunity to share in a range of benefits, including developing a sustainable income stream over which they have control, creating strong partnerships, and building resilience in their local area.
Discussions have already been held with a number of community councils, including Kilmore and Kilbride – the community council area hosting the development – and Taynuilt, on the opportunities for shared ownership.
In addition to this, Galileo is supporting ALIenergy in applying to the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), delivering the funding necessary to deliver the financial and legal expertise necessary to support the delivery of a Shared Ownership Vehicle.
CARES is managed by Local Energy Scotland and offers a range of financial support to local energy projects.
The Scottish Government has set a community and local energy target of 2 GW of community and locally owned energy by 2030.
The opportunity for shared ownership is in addition to a Community Wealth Fund, which will give the local communities up to £15 million over the lifetime of Corr Chnoc Wind Farm, including delivery of a Renewable Electricity Discount Scheme (REDS). This will see those in closest proximity to the wind farm receiving a discount on their electricity bills.
