The two North East wind farms owned and operated by renewable energy firm Banks Renewables generated enough electricity in the company’s last financial year to meet the annual electricity needs of almost 18,700 homes – or a town roughly the size of Durham.
Banks Renewables’ Moor House Wind Farm near Darlington and the Lambs Hill scheme to the north west of Stockton generated almost 58,000 MWh of electricity between them over the 12 months to the end of September – and by doing so, they displaced the equivalent annual carbon dioxide emissions for around 5,200 petrol cars from the electricity supply network.
The six-turbine Moor House wind farm led the way by generating more than 36,000 MWh over the 12 months in question, with the four-turbine Lambs Hill scheme producing over 22,000 MWh during the same period.
The two wind farms also delivered combined revenues of almost £42,000 during the year for their respective community benefits funds, which provide financial support for projects being undertaken by groups and good causes in the communities surrounding them.
More than 480,000 MWh of green electricity was generated during the year across the County Durham-headquartered firm’s overall portfolio of ten onshore wind farms, which are located across Scotland and the north of England.
This is enough to meet the annual electricity needs of over 155,000 homes, or a conurbation around the size of Sunderland.
Banks Renewables’ generating capacity is set to further increase as the 15-turbine Kype Muir Extension Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire due to come online imminently, while the family firm is also currently looking to deploy further renewable energy technologies at a number of new sites across Scotland and the north of England.
It also recently announced plans for a groundbreaking new green energy hub at the former Thorpe Marsh power station site near Doncaster.
Richard Dunkley, managing director at Banks Renewables, says: “The Moor House and Lambs Hill onshore wind farms, along with all our other schemes across the UK, are continuing to operate efficiently and are helping to generate more of the energy that we all use in our homes, school, hospitals and businesses from renewable means.
“Alongside the environmental and energy security benefits they’re delivering, our wind farms also make a long-term contribution to the well-being of the communities in which they’re located by helping to enhance the facilities and support available to local people and organisations.
“At a time when finding funding for grass roots projects can be especially challenging, this direct community contribution is more important than ever before and we are committed to maintaining it for the long-term.
“Utilising the widest possible range of renewable energy generation technologies will help the UK to achieve its climate change targets and decarbonise its power supply as quickly as possible, and we continuing to explore a range of new technologies and opportunities right across the UK that will further enhance our contribution to achieving these goals.”