RES - Powering Tomorrows World....  
 
For Release: Tuesday 3 July 2001
     
  Contact: Ray Hunter, Scottish Development Manager: +44 (0)141 241 6211, +44 (0)7775 664 810 (m)  
    Anna Stanford, Media Officer +44 (0) 1795 536359, +44 (0)776 1103465 (mobile)  
     
 
Approval granted for Black Hill Wind Farm, Scotland
  
   

Renewable Energy Systems Ltd announced today that it has been granted planning approval by Scottish Borders Council for a wind farm at Black Hill, between the market town of Duns and the village of Longformacus. The project will comprise 22 wind turbines, supplying enough pollution-free electricity to meet the needs of well over 11,000 homes. The Council's decision was unanimous.

RES Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sir Robert McAlpine Group, is well known in the Borders. In July 2000, the company commissioned the 26 turbine, 17.2 MW, Dun Law wind farm near Soutra.

Commenting upon RES' success and the attitude of Scottish Borders Council to wind farm developments, Dr Ian Mays, the managing director of RES, said

"This is excellent news and further demonstrates that the Borders is one of the most environmentally conscious parts of the country. The Council in particular is to be congratulated for its positive attitude to wind energy. As far back as 1995 it developed and adopted 'A Planning Framework for Wind Energy Developments'. This has helped greatly in guiding developers and speeding approvals. Other local authorities could do a great deal worse that to follow this enlightened approach."

RES Ltd is one of the world's leading wind developers and has enjoyed considerable success over the last 12 months in international markets, particularly the USA, France and Portugal. Dr Mays expressed delight at this domestic success.

"The UK has set an ambitious renewable energy target for the end of the decade, but this can only be achieved by a steady stream of planning consents for well located projects. Every local authority has a part to play and I would once again commend the Council, the planners and the people of the Scottish Borders as being a shining example to the rest of the country".


This is the third wind farm to be approved in recent years by the Council. In addition to Dun Law and Black Hill, consent was granted in 2000 for a 30MW scheme at Bowbeat near Peebles. Collectively the three wind farms will displace in the region of 175,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. This equates to about a third of the total CO2 emissions from a population the size of the Scottish Borders. It will contribute to national efforts to tackle the threat of climate change and bring economic benefits to the area during construction.

ENDS

Notes to Editors
1.

RES has two other planning applications currently pending in Scotland, both in Aberdeenshire (Glens of Foudland near Huntly and Meikle Carewe near Stonehaven).
2. This is the company's first wind farm planning approval in Britain since 1999. Last year it had 4 wind farms turned down in England due to concerns about visual effects, and no approvals. The government has now undertaken to introduce regionality and a robust local planning framework to help solve planning problems in England and Wales.
3. The UK Government as part of its Climate Change Programme intends that 10% of electricity supply will come from renewables by 2010. As part of this, and building upon the legacy of 1950s hydro development, the Scottish Executive is likely to confirm an 18% target in the next few weeks.

CONTACTS:

Ray Hunter, Scottish Development Manager, RES: +44 (0)141 241 6211 (w), +44 (0)7775 664 810 (m)
Anna Stanford, Media Officer, RES Ltd +44 (0)1795 536667 (w) or +44 (0)776 110 3465 (m)
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