Scottish company Muirhall Energy, which is proposing the 68MW Caplich wind farm in Sutherland, is providing £14,000 to invest in skills and training opportunities in Sutherland and Ross and Cromarty areas.
The company, which employs 14 staff, has signed agreements with training providers in Assynt, Ullapool, Creich, Ardgay and Lairg.
Training will be made available over the next five months through the Lairg and District Learning Centre, Assynt Leisure Centre, The Macphail Centre; Scottish Crofting Federation and West Highland College in Ullapool.
The courses have been decided by local community groups and will include chainsaw training, digital literacy training and health and wellbeing courses, as well as courses targeted to boost the crofting sector, but the parties involved are open to suggestions from the community as to further uses.
The funding is on top of the proposed community benefit funding, amounting to £340,000 annually – £8.5m over the 25-year lifespan of the wind farm – to be shared with the five community council areas should the wind farm receive consent.
In addition a Recreational Enhancement Fund (REF) for the improvement of tourism amenities in the Assynt Coigach National Scenic Area worth £32,000 annually at the current scale is proposed should the wind farm receive consent.
The wind farm is expected to cost approximately £81m with some £5m to be spent directly within the local area through local contractors and suppliers.
Caplich wind farm project manager Peter Marshall said: “We were greatly impressed by the variety of ideas that have come forward from the community to deliver improved skills.
“In other parts of Scotland, community benefit funds from wind farms are already being used to deliver skills training and we hope that if the communities wish to do so, our community benefit fund can provide similar benefits.”
Image: sxc
Wind boosts skills in Scotland
Muirhall Energy's Caplich wind farm to provide £14,000 for training
By EBS