Mega windfarm moves closer as construction deal is signed
Construction of a 50-turbine wind farm in East Ayrshire will be led by civil-engineers RJ McLeod following the award of a £67million contract by Swedish enegry giant Vattenfall.
The firm will deliver roads and access tracks, electrical infrastructure, turbine foundations and other infrastructure at South Kyle wind farm.
Located 5km to the east of Dalmellington, South Kyle will be Vattenfall’s largest onshore wind farm in the United Kingdom.
At the peak of construction, the project will require around 150 workers on site.
And once operational the 240MW wind farm will make a significant contribution to Scotland’s net-zero ambitions.
The site will power around 170,000 homes and save 300,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, the equivalent of taking 65,000 cars off the road each year.
The contract award will be the fourth major Vattenfall project undertaken by Glasgow-based RJ McLeod, who are pledging to create posts for local sub-contractors.
Frank Elsworth, Vattenfall’s UK Development Director, Onshore Wind, said: “Constructing a wind farm is about so much more than just building a green power station.
“This is about creating and sustaining an industry that offers people a real future in a rewarding career.
“As well as bringing fossil-fuel free living a step closer, we want to ensure that businesses close to our wind farms have the chance to take full advantage of the opportunities developments like South Kyle can create.
“We’re delighted to be working with RJ McLeod again.
“Their knowledge and expertise will provide further reassurance that South Kyle will be a responsibly built asset to the local area, powering approximately 170,000 homes with green electricity and driving forward Scotland’s emission reduction ambitions.”
Bruce Clark, Joint Managing Director, RJ McLeod, added: “We’re delighted to be awarded the contract to construct South Kyle Wind Farm.
“This is our fourth project with Vattenfall who recognise the skills and experience of our staff and operatives as well as our track record of using local resources and we look forward to jointly delivering this important energy asset.”
Start date for construction is yet to be confirmed but preparatory works are anticipated to begin next month.
The wind farm is expected to start generating electricity by early 2023.