Community

The Proposed Development will create an economic opportunity during construction, through the investment of an estimated £15 – 20 million in civil engineering and construction contracts. Opportunities will benefit a wide range of businesses including construction trades, sub-contracting, suppliers to construction trades, accommodation, security and site services and environmental services.

There will be ongoing economic opportunities during the operational lifetime of the Wind Farm, with an estimated annual spend of around £2 million. The main opportunities will include site maintenance and habitat management.

Ventient Energy is committed to supporting the local community and working with local contractors whenever the project requirements and conditions allow doing so.

Development Phase

During the project’s development, there will be a requirement for surveys and site visits which provides opportunities for environmental companies, accommodation providers and local shops.

Construction Phase

• The construction period tends to last up to two years and is the phase of the development where supply chain decisions have the largest potential to influence the economic benefits from the project.

Significant local investment will be required in areas such as:

• construction and civil engineering works to deliver road works and foundations work;
• inspection and testing;
• plant hire;
• turbine land transport;
• turbine assembly; and
• services associated with works at the site (for example site security, skip or cabin hire, cleaning services)

Finally, the grid connection of the wind farm is likely to present opportunities for local contractors through the engineering services required for grid connection.

The fund for the existing wind farm is administered by Taynuilt Community Council. To date, the community benefit fund has supported a wide range of local projects within the area, including:

• replacing a footbridge on a core path
• buying equipment for a litter picking group
• buying fitness equipment for a senior citizen’s exercise class
• providing new village and village hall noticeboards
• providing a public bench on the main street
• funding replacement equipment for a public access defibrillator
• supporting the annual village bonfire and fireworks display
• funding a village newsletter
• adopting a phone kiosk to provide a location for a book exchange and possibly another defibrillator.

For the repowering phase of the wind farm, Ventient Energy are committed to setting up a community benefit fund to the value of £5,000 per installed MW. This could equate to about £288,000 per year for 35 years according to the current wind farm design. This would deliver more than £10 million of community benefit funding over the lifetime of the Proposed Development. The allocation and distribution of the fund will be related to the final proposed turbine numbers and layout.

Further benefits from the repowering of Beinn Ghlas will include the payment of approximately £400,000 per annum in non-domestic rates to Argyll and Bute Council^[1]. Ventient Energy is also open to providing . We are open to providing such wind farm visits for to students, local residents and other interested parties.