Novar Wind Farm
Novar Wind Farm is a 50 turbine, 53.8MW wind farm located in the Scottish Highlands.[1] Constructed in 1997, Novar was of the earlier developments of Scottish on-shore wind generation. It provided a significant contribution to the local economy during construction and through its Community Benefit Fund. In 2010 an additional 16 turbines were constructed taking the yearly generation capacity to 53.8MW.
| Novar Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 57°42′35.8″N 4°26′16″W / 57.709944°N 4.43778°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | Novar A: 1996, Novar B: 2010 |
| Commission date | Novar A: 1997, Novar B: 2012 |
| Construction cost | Novar A: £16 million |
| Owner(s) | Ventient Energy |
| Operator(s) | RWE |
| Wind farm | |
| Type | Onshore |
| Hub height | Novar A: 42 m (138 ft), Novar B: 65 m (213 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | Novar A: 40 m (131 ft) , Novar B: 71 m (233 ft) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | Novar A: x34, Novar B: x16 |
| Make and model | Novar A: Bonus (Seimens) 500kW, Novar B: Enercon E70/2300 2.3MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 53.8MW A+B Combined |
| External links | |
| Website | https://www.ventientenergy.com/our-portfolio/novar/ |
Location
Novar Wind Farm is made of of two sites located on the Novar Estate, 5 miles (8km) north-west of the village of Evanton and 5.5 miles (8.8km) west of the town of Alness. 6 miles (10km) to the south-west lies the Munro Ben Wyvis which is a National Nature Reserve and is a height of 1046m (3431.7ft).[2]
The land is predominately heath land covered in heather but is also used for grazing for sheep. Gravel access roads where built to allow the construction and maintenance of the site.
Construction
Novar A was built and commissioned by Npower (United Kingdom) in 1997 with x34 500kW Bonus (Siemens) turbines being connected to National Grid (Great Britain).[3][4] Between 1997 and 2010 ownership changed hands several times until Ventient Energy took it on.
In 2010, RWE began construction began to expand the site with the addition of 16 larger 2,300kW Enercon turbines.[5] In September 2012, The Energy Minister for the Scottish Government, Fergus Ewing officially opened the new site.[6] This increased the generating capacity from 17MW to 53.8MW.
Community Benefit Fund
As with many wind farms in Scotland, a Community Benefit Fund was set up. The fund is a contract whereby the operator agrees to pay a fixed amount to local communities per MegaWatt (MW) generated. In this case RWE Innogy who currenty operate Novar Wind Farms have agreed to pay £2000 for every MW Novar generates.[7]
The money is split between the local Community councils of Kiltearn, Ardross, and Alness who then decide how the funds are spent.[1] Often the funds go to local schools for items such as books and toys, or towards helping community groups with funding.
References
- ^ a b "Novar". Ventient Energy. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
- ^ "Ross and Cromarty Heritage - Windfarms in Ross-shire".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Novar". Ventient Energy. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "Novar (United-Kingdom) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "Novar Extension (United-Kingdom) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "New Ross wind farm is". www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "Developer Details - Local Energy Scotland". www.localenergy.scot. Retrieved 2019-01-21.