Renewable Energy Systems Ltd. (Renewable Energy Systems) has announced plans for the Grange wind farm, between Sutton Bridge and Tydd St Mary, around 5 miles north of Wisbech. The proposed scheme would consist of 7 turbines, each with an indicative capacity of 2 MW and a maximum height of 127 meters to the tip of the blade. The wind farm would generate about 38 GWh of pollution-free electricity a year.
Public exhibitions about the plans will be held from 3pm to 8pm on Wednesday 25th March, at Tydd St. Mary Village Hall, and from 10am to 3pm on Thursday 26th March at the Sutton Bridge Constitutional Club. Renewable Energy Systems will present the findings of detailed investigations on the site.
Helen Hall, project manager for the Grange wind farm proposal, commented; “The environmental aspects of the site have been studied over the past few years in order to come up with the best design for the wind farm. This has resulted in a proposal that will generate renewable electricity from a clean, indigenous resource that will make a significant contribution to our efforts to tackle climate change. If the UK is to increase the security of our energy supply and meet its targets for producing energy from renewable sources and cutting CO2 emissions, we need sites such as this to get the go-ahead. We look forward to working with the local communities as the project progresses.”
Renewable Energy Systems is considering ways in which the wind farm can bring direct and tangible economic benefits to local people, and is proposing an annual community fund of around GBP28,000 per year (for the communities immediately around the wind farm site), as well as the obvious environmental advantages through the generation of pollution-free electricity. There will also be opportunities for local contractors during the construction period, as Renewable Energy Systems has a policy of sourcing goods and services locally to wind farm sites wherever possible. Other suggestions for local community benefits which arise throughout the consultation period will be considered.
Renewable Energy Systems intends to submit a planning application for the site in the Spring. The application will be accompanied by a full Environmental Statement, which is the result of extensive site investigations. The project will be determined later in the year by South Holland District Council, who will take into account the region’s ambitious targets for renewable energy.