Auchrobert Wind Farm, South Lanarkshire
Timber stacks in the Auchrobert Wind farm. Photograph by Gordon Brown, 6th March, 2021.
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Gordon Brown - https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6770923
Auchrobert Wind Farm is located on partially forested hills in South Lanarkshire, 25km south of Glasgow and 6km south east of Strathaven, Scotland. The windfarm has a maximum export capacity of 36 MW, consists of 12 3.2 MW turbines and produces enough clean energy to power approximately 26,000 homes.
Auchrobert Community Energy has purchased a £1.5 million community stake in the Auchrobert wind farm built by Falck Renewables. Energy4All are providing the administrative functions to Auchrobert.The project was developed in a single phase. Post completion of construction, the wind farm began producing power in April 2017
Energy4All is a non-profit distributing social enterprise that promotes and facilitates community ownership of renewable energy in the UK. The basic idea is that new social enterprises will be established to undertake renewable energy projects, which will be controlled by their community and provided with technical expertise and management by Energy4All. Energy4All seeks to recover costs and provide for future development work from its fees. Any profits that arise are used by the company for the furtherance of its aims and objectives. Each new enterprise is paid for by the success of older enterprises, and it in turn supports the enterprises of the future.
Turbines in Auchrobert Wind Farm. Photograph by Gordon Brown, 20th December, 2020
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Gordon Brown - geograph.org.uk/p/6709991
Logan Water valley with Auchrobert Wind Farm. Photo: David Halls, 26th September 2022
Auchrobert Wind Farm with Lower Waterhead Farm. Photo: David Halls, 26th September 2022
Access to Wind Farm
The nearest road to the Auchrobert site is the narrow road between Waterside and Deadwaters. In Deadwaters, there are a number of sharp bends and anyway, the road is not suitable for heavy traffic, particularly the long loads that would be necessary in transporting wind turbines. What Falck Renewables did was to create a new private road off the B7086 Kirkmuirhill to Strathaven road which went around the back of Deadwaters and crossed the narrow Waterside to Deadwaters road onto the site. All intersections were controlled by gates.
All photographs below taken by David Halls, 26th September 2022
Entrance to Auchrobert Wind Farm off B7086.
Sign at right of Entrance to Auchrobert Wind Farm off B7086.
Gated crossing entrance on Waterside to Deadwaters road.
Map at Crossing entrance on Waterside to Deadwaters road showing location of turbines and control building.
The Auchrobert Wind Farm Community Fund
The fund supports community projects benefitting those living in Blackwood/Kirkmuirhill and Boghead. The fund is provided by Falck Renewables, the owners of Auchrobert Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire.
The fund opened in 2017. An annual amount of £54,000, rising in line with inflation, will be paid into the fund for the operating life of the wind farm which is expected to be 25 years. In 2020, the contribution to the fund was £58,748.
The fund provides grants to support a wide range of community activity and development that are broadly charitable. All projects must clearly be benefitting those who live within the area of benefit.
Grants may support a wide range of costs, for example, the costs of equipment, staff or sessional workers, consultations, running costs for local groups, maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities and more.
A number of local organisations have received awards since it was set up. Grants awarded included:
- Climate Action Strathaven - £5000 to help vulnerable householders improve energy efficiency.
- Thornton Rd Community Association - £2500 towards the cost of a craft project for older people.
- Milton Primary School - £600 for an outdoor learning area
- Bike Barn, Strathaven - £1200 to provide refurbished bikes
- Royal Highland Educational Trust Clydesdale - £1000 for equipment to provide online school visits to farms
- Glassford Community Group - £1500 for a memorial garden
- Creative Strathaven - £700 towards the cost of a wildlife garden
Further Information
Article compiled by David Halls. First published; 28th September 2022