Banks Renewables is applying for extensions to the permitted lifespan for four wind farms in Yorkshire, Northern England.
The Hook Moor Wind Farm to the east of Leeds, the Penny Hill scheme near Sheffield, the Marr Wind Farm to the west of Doncaster and the Hazlehead Wind Farm near Barnsley have all been generating clean green electricity for between seven and 11 years.
Each has planning permission to operate for 25 years.
Having carried out comprehensive regular maintenance work on the turbines at each site and reviewed their efficient ongoing operational performance, Banks has decided to look for permission to extend the lifespan of each of the wind farms by 15 years to 40 years’ duration.
Planning applications for the lifespan extensions have been submitted to the relevant local authority in each area, with a view to them being considered in the coming months.
No other aspects of the wind farms would change as part of the planning applications, no new turbines are being planned and all the existing planning conditions under which they currently operate, including those which protect the residential amenity of local residents, would remain unaltered.
The wind farms’ community funds would also be extended for a further 15 years if the related planning application is approved.
Lewis Stokes, senior community relations manager at the Banks Group, said: “Our Yorkshire wind farms have all been operating efficiently for many years, and our aim is to maximise the significant environmental, energy security and community benefits they can deliver, a process which extending their respective permitted lifespans would allow us to do.
“Many communities across the county have benefited from revenues generated by each wind farm and extending their lifespans would mean even more capital would be available to support projects across surrounding areas.
“Generating as much of the energy that we all use via renewables is a crucial part of the UK’s journey towards its Net Zero targets and will enable the country to decarbonise its power supply and achieve its climate change targets more quickly than would otherwise be possible.”