npower renewables is investigating the potential for a wind farm at Cotton Farm on farm land occupying the disused WWII aerodrome between the villages of Graveley, Great Paxton and Offord D'Arcy, Cambridgeshire.
Wind power is an essential part of the UK's commitment to tackling climate change.
Renewables Developer Kim Gauld-Clark said, "Our early studies show that the site at Cotton Farm has the potential to accommodate a medium scale wind farm. Over the coming months we will commission various studies to ensure we can fully assess the benefits and impacts of a wind farm in the area."
The proposal would comprise up to eight wind turbines with a maximum generating capacity of 24 megawatts (MW) of clean renewable electricity.
With this capacity a wind farm at Cotton Farm could meet the average annual electricity needs of between 6,900 and 10,000 homes each year. This figure already takes into account predicted fluctuations in wind speed.
Not only would the wind farm supply a large number of homes with clean, sustainable electricity, it would also make a valuable contribution towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Every unit of electricity produced by wind power replaces electricity that would have been produced by conventional sources and energy production is one of the major causes of climate change.
Cotton Wind Farm will prevent the emission of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide over the course of a year, helping to meet the UK Government's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol.
The next stage of the project is to carry out background noise monitoring at some of the closest residential properties to the site.
Once this is complete and the data has been analysed we can draw up a draft layout for a wind farm at the site, ensuring that the wind turbines will be quiet enough to meet strict national guidelines.
Cotton Farm Wind Farm
