Developers behind the 450MW Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm confirmed they have handed out £50,000 in community grants in the past two years with more cash to come for decades.
French energy giant EDF (PAR:EDF) and Ireland’s ESB said the wind farm’s 54 turbines have produced the funds for a range of charities and local organisations in Fife, which is closest to the wind farm itself, and in Berwickshire and East Lothian, near to its operations and maintenance centre in Eyemouth.
The wind farm, around 10miles (15.5km) off the coast of Fife, began generating power into the national grid in October after delays impacted the construction phase.
The project is expected to be complete in summer 2025. Developers estimate it will produce enough electricity to power 375,000 homes and offset 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
A total of 41 donations, ranging in value from £100 to £3,500 have been made; £19,628 in 2023 and £29,837 in 2024 respectively.
NnG’s project director Matthias Haag said the funds were issued ahead of the establishment of a community benefit fund, which is set to run for the duration of the wind farm’s 25-year life span.
Details of the NnG community fund, and how organisations can apply for support, will be published in 2025.
© Supplied by Spreng ThomsonThe range of initiatives supported includes:
Support for Anstruther Philharmonic Society (£800)
Financial backing for Berwickshire Marine Education Centre (£1,100)
Funding for Crail Sea Queen Festival (£2,865)
St Abbs sundial restoration (£500)
Anstruther Harbour Festival funding (£2,300)
Eyemouth foodbank donation (£1,000)
Haag, said: “Throughout the project we have been working hard to be good neighbours to those geographically closest to the project and this will continue to operation and beyond.
“Once fully commissioned, NnG will provide a community benefit fund that will continue for the 25-year life of the wind farm. In the meantime we are proud to be supporting local communities through the sponsorship fund and seeing first hand the positive impact the grants are having for community groups and initiatives.”
Berwickshire Marine Reserve project officer Charlotte Keeley said: “We partnered with NnG to be able to open our Marine Education Centre and, thanks to this support, we’ve welcomed almost 3,000 visitors this year.”
Helen Mathers, secretary of the Anstruther Philharmonic Society, said: “We rely on local support and, in particular, the grant from NnG is extremely valuable to us.”
NnG has also benefited the supply chain locally and more widely in Scotland, working with local businesses “where possible”. Contractors include Forth Ports at the Port of Dundee, civil engineering firm I&H Brown, Burntisland-based Briggs Marine and Fife’s family-owned Muir Construction.
The wind farm has already created 27 permanent jobs at its operations and maintenance centre in Eyemouth and developers estimate around 50 high-quality jobs will be based there over the next 25 years.
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