npower renewables1 is currently investigating the possibility of a medium-scale wind farm on land to the east of the A68, approximately 1 kilometre south-east of Kiln Pit Hill.
The Kiln Pit Hill project is still at a very early stage of development with much of the feasibility and assessment work yet to be undertaken, however, npower renweables, with over 13 years' experience in the development and operation of wind farms, understands the need to engage at an early stage with the communities local to its wind energy projects.
npower renewables is keen to ensure that a full and transparent public consultation takes place, and will shortly be introducing the Kiln Pit Hill project via a mailshot to some 4,200 homes in the vicinity of the proposed site. Once discussions have taken place with residents living nearest to the proposed wind farm, the local consultation will be extended to a wider audience with the company hosting public exhibitions locally in the summer, further details of which will be publicised nearer the time.
Joanna Thompson, project manager for the Kiln Pit Hill Wind Farm proposal said, "The project is still at a very early stage of development, however, we are keen to introduce the scheme to people living near to the proposed site, and to assure them that will be providing plenty of opportunities to discuss the project with us and provide us with feedback over the coming months before any planning application is submitted."
It is currently anticipated that the scheme could comprise up to 8 wind turbines with a combined maximum output of around 15 megawatts. At this size the wind farm would generate enough clean electricity each year to supply the average needs of some 8,000 homes (averaged out across the year and taking into account times of low wind speed). This clean generation would, in addition, prevent the annual release of around 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas contributing to climate change and global warming.
Joanna Thompson continued, "We are very keen to listen to the views and suggestions of people living close to the proposed site. Local consultation is a very important part of the development of the project, since the feedback that we receive contributes to the final design of the proposed wind farm."
The local consultation will take place in parallel with a wide range of detailed environmental studies on and around the proposed site to assess any possible impacts the project may have on the local environment.
The area in which the proposed Kiln Pit Hill Wind Farm site lies has been identified within the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy of the North East Assembly as appropriate for a medium-sized wind farm. Northumberland County Council have endorsed the area as having the potential for medium-scale wind development in their recently adopted Structure Plan (February 2005).
The Kiln Pit Hill project would make an important contribution towards meeting the Assembly's emerging renewable energy target for the North East region. With an installed electrical capacity of 15 megawatts, the Kiln Pit Hill Wind Farm could provide some 4% of the region's 2010 installed renewable energy target.
The Kiln Pit Hill Wind Farm is one of three wind farm proposals in Northumberland2 announced by npower renewables this February during a Regional Launch event held at the New and Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth.
For further information contact:
- Joanna Thompson, Project Manager
npower renewables
Tel: 01833 69 59 80
- Sara Alan-Smith, PR Officer
npower renewables
Tel: 01189 59 24 40
Editors Notes
- npower renewables is a specialist subsidiary of one of the UK's leading integrated energy companies, RWE npower, and is a leading renewable energy developer and operator. The company is dedicated to generating electricity using sustainable environmentally-friendly resources, and is currently developing the natural power of wind, hydro and co-firing biomass as significant sources of power for the UK's present and future electricity needs.
In November 2003, npower renewables' sister company, electricity retailer "npower", and Greenpeace, announced the establishment of the npower Juice fund, in association with the company's green electricity product npower Juice. This fund is helping to support the development of "new" renewable energy technologies such as wave and tidal.
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