A WIND energy firm announced plans yesterday to provide £3.25million over 25 years for educational initiatives in the Highlands if its proposed windfarm near Inverness secures planning permission.
Welsh company West Coast Energy will submit plans to Highland Council in the next few weeks for a 13-turbine windfarm on land south of Craggie, Daviot, 10 miles south of Inverness.
At Inverness College yesterday, the firm’s planning and development director, Steve Salt, said £4,000 per megawatt of electricity produced would be ring-fenced as funding for the University of the Highlands and Islands and Inverness College UHI.
Inverness College principal John Spencer said the cash would be used to fund a mobile educational facility for the Highlands.
The lorry would tour primary and secondary schools in the region as well as visiting communities to provide practical technology activities.
The equipment on board will focus on science, engineering and trades.
It would be used for a variety of projects including learning in green technologies at primary schools, and at secondary schools as a science laboratory and to demonstrate technology such as new welding applications.
Equipment on board could include a manufacturing simulation to demonstrate the production of materials such as aluminium and nylon.
If planning permission is granted it is understood the lorry could be in use by 2013.
West Coast Energy also plan to build one turbine for the community, which expected to raise income of up to £6million over the life of the project.
Mr Salt said: “We are committed to working with communities.
“We are coming into communities effectively to take their wind and we feel they need to be partners and benefit directly.”
Mr Spencer said: “This presents a fantastic opportunity for the inner Moray Firth area and the wider Highlands.
“We are excited about it and have our fingers crossed that the proposal is successful.
“It will make a huge difference for further and higher education.”