LOCAL communities have been offered an opportunity to take a financial stake in a Scottish wind farm.
The developers of the Corr Chnoc energy project, consisting of 12 wind turbines in Argyll's Dunach Estate, have agreed to shared ownership with communities near the site.
Lynda Mitchell, CEO of co-developer ALIenergy said: “Shared ownership provides a tremendous opportunity for local communities to benefit from renewable energy developments.
“These are projects that are not only important for the immediate future, but for the next generation too.
"Moreover, projects with a form of shared ownership are typically more closely bound to the local community where they operate.”
Communities and developers will now participate in a meeting in Oban, where up to 10% of the project's stake will be transferred to locals.
ALIenergy, a sustainable energy charity based in Oban, worked to develop the project alongside Europe-wide renewables firm Galileo.
The project will produce up to 75MW of energy, and an on-site battery storage bank will be able to hold 30MW of power.
It will contribute to the Scottish Government's goal of having 2GW of community and locally owned energy by 2030.
A community wealth fund will also be established, investing £15m into the community around the development over its lifetime.
Some of this will go towards reducing energy bills for households nearest to the project site.
Cris Thacker, communications manager for Galileo, said: “We are delighted to have signed this MoU with ALIenergy. Shared ownership of the wind farm will give the local community an incredible opportunity to deliver a sustainable income stream over which they have full control.
“We are keen to ensure that the local communities in which we operate benefit from our renewable energy projects and have held positive discussions with the local community councils.”
