A Scottish community has defied the odds and secured capital funding to build a 100% community-owned wind turbine.
ATTIX Community Interest Company (CIC) – established by Radio City Association, the charity behind the project – has received over £5m in investment into the Garnock Valley in North Ayrshire.
The turbine, which will have an operational capacity of 2.5MW, will be capable of generating 7839 megawatt hour of clean electricity per year, the equivalent of powering 2234 average UK homes, once operational.
Owned solely by the community, the profits from electricity sales will be reinvested back into the local area, which could include local sports and recreational facilities, as well as supporting the refurbishment of the Knox Institute building – a one-time important community hub.
Thrive Renewables has provided £4m in funding while responsible finance provider Social Investment Scotland has invested £1.6m as part of a blended finance package.
Local Energy Scotland also supported the project through planning and design with funding from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).
Allan Wilson, Secretary of Radio City Association and former Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development for the Scottish Government, said: “This is great news for the Garnock Valley as the turbine will secure more in community benefits for local people than all the commercially owned wind turbines visible in the area combined. We recommend the model to any community facing the same challenges.
“It represents a massive step forward for our Electric Valley Project which aims to promote sustainability and energy self-reliance and the investment of profits from locally sourced renewable power back into our communities.
“This will allow us to start addressing inequalities in employment, health and education created by years of neglect and absence of new investment.”
Recognising the benefits an onshore wind project could bring to the community, ATTIX proposed a new planning approach for its project in 2018 and, after receiving vital development funding from CARES, the group successfully gained planning permission in 2019.
While the impact of higher energy prices, inflation and grid constraints nearly stalled the project once again, Social Investment Scotland and Thrive Renewables came on board with the funding to support construction in September 2023.