Scottish community projects receive £3m from wind farm

Over £2.8million has been pledged for sustainability and environmental initiatives through Ripple Energy’s Community Benefit Fund.

Kirk Hill Wind Farm in South Ayrshire will generate £94,000 per year, equivalent to £5,000/MW, through the sale of its green energy, which it will begin producing this year. 

The first funds will be made available to community projects on the first anniversary of the wind farm being commissioned. The Dailly Community Development Trust and North Carrick Community Benefit Company [NCCBC] have been confirmed as recipients.

Money is set to cover improvements to a play area at Loaning Play Park and facilities at the Dailly Community entre. Grants will also be create for schemes in Maybole and North Carrick. 

Ripple Energy, the company operating the wind farm, has sold shares in the site to 5,600 members across the UK, who have joined a co-operative managed by the firm. In turn, they reductions to their energy bills and carbon footprints. 

‘Giving back to the community at all of our projects is incredibly important to us. We are a people-powered business, and through the green energy revolution, not only are we able to work towards a fossil-fuel free world, we are able to empower local communities and support a brighter, more sustainable future,’ said Sarah Merrick, Ripple Energy’s CEO.

‘We are very pleased to sign the agreement for the Kirk Hill Wind Farm development, this additional income will allow us to do even more to improve North Carrick, and we aim to use this benefit funding with a particular focus on actioning the outcomes of our recent ‘North Carrick Strategy for Youth,’ added Mark Fletcher, NCCBC Chair.