Turbine plan for promenade

Portobello Energy Descent and Land Reform (Pedal), an environmental community group, has been awarded 72,000 from Community Energy Scotland to launch its bid to build the turbine on the promenade.

The not-for-profit organisation hopes to sell the power to local firms and invest the profits in community projects.

And today it was revealed the group is in discussions with Lothian Buses to look at providing up to 100 per cent of power to its Marine depot in Portobello and the nearby Seafield engineering works.

The voluntary group, which includes a range of legal and finance experts among its 120 members, as well as those that work in the energy industry, will use the income from the turbine to pay off the 500,000 project costs.

Tom Black, project manager with Pedal, said: "The inspiration came from groups in rural areas like Fintry in Stirlingshire and Eigg in the Hebrides, where they have run their own wind turbines.

"In summer 2008 myself and one of the members, Justin Kenrick, got thinking we could start a project to give Portobello its own renewable energy source, and we literally drew a diagram into the sand with a stick.

"Since then it's been a hard slog but it's a major milestone to secure this funding.

"At the moment we are in discussions with Lothian Buses about providing power to their depots in the area.

"If the project goes ahead, it could bring benefits by reducing carbon emissions, bringing in money that would be made available for local projects, and raising awareness of the renewable energy resources that Edinburgh has."

Pedal aims to submit the planning application next March, and hopes to begin building in early 2012, if permission is granted.

Georgie Davis, development officer for Community Energy Scotland, which awarded Pedal with the government funds to launch the planning process, said: "This is the first urban wind turbine site that has got to this stage of development, and what is particularly exciting is that it might open up more opportunities for groups in urban areas to follow their lead."

Steve Johnson, environmental manager at Lothian Buses, added: "We are currently in negotiation with Pedal in connection with its search for a suitable site for a wind turbine in Portobello. The project is in line with our own goals for developing more sustainable public transport within Edinburgh."