Onshore wind for Northamptonshire, Scotland tower manufacturing

The Chelveston wind farm, part of the Chelveston Renewable Energy Park, was commissioned in September and entered full operation in October. The site was formerly a Ministry of Defense bomber base throughout World War II later a radio-mast transmitter site until 2005. The renewable energy park will also contain biomass plants, biofuel generators and solar photovoltaic arrays.

Meanwhile, Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has granted planning consent for a proposed extension at Mid Hill wind farm, near Banchory. The Mid Hill II extension is to have up to nine Siemens turbines, bringing the total number to 34, and have a generating capacity of 102 MW. The original, 25-turbine Mid Hill wind farm is currently under construction in Fetteresso Forest, near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire.

Last, production at a wind turbine tower manufacturing plant on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland has been doubled in the last few months. Wind Towers (Scotland) says it is now experiencing a faster assembly time thanks to intervention by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS), which have been working with WTS to improve productivity. WTS commenced tower manufacturing at the Campbeltown site in August 2011.

The company is currently working on two contracts: one for Vestas, producing towers for Keadby wind farm and the other for Scottish Power Renewables where towers are required for the Beinn anTuirc II wind farm extension. Work will then start on a Siemens contract producing towers for the Bruckana wind farm in County Kildare, Ireland.