Green light for Lanarkshire wind farm that will power 21,000 homes

An onshore wind farm development that will power some 21,000 homes has been given the green light by South Lanarkshire Council.

Banks Renewables’ planning application to erect turbines at Mill Rig wind farm, near Darvel in East Ayrshire, has now been rubber-stamped and is on course to become operational within three years.

The six powerful wind turbines planned for Mill Rig will provide an installed generation capacity of around 36 megawatts - enough to meet the electricity needs of all the households in a town around the size of East Kilbride.

In addition to the generation of green power, Banks Renewables’ £40 million project will displace over 18,000 tonnes of CO2 annually from the UK’s electricity supply grid - the equivalent of removing almost 7,000 petrol cars from the road, according to the firm.

Robin Winstanley, sustainability and external affairs manager at Banks Renewables. Picture: Ian Georgeson Photography

The Hamilton-based renewables company said it has consulted with the community throughout the planning process and will set up a local community fund which is expected to create up to £180,000 revenue annually - translating into £5.4m over the expected 30-year lifetime of the project.

Robin Winstanley, sustainability and external affairs manager at Banks Renewables, said: “To gain planning permission is a major milestone for Mill Rig. The development will bring many social, environmental and community benefits to the local area.

“With the next steps of detailed design and construction, Mill Rig Wind Farm is on track to help Scotland achieve its ambitious net zero targets, bolstering the UK’s energy security by producing green electricity by 2025.”

Mill Rig will become the firm’s fourth operational Scottish development once construction is completed.