22 Oct 2024
A wind farm which has been been hit with a number of delays is finally completed and operational in Hawick.
The project, known as Pines Burn Wind Farm, became rather controversial amongst locals during construction namely due to issues concerning the delivery of the turbine blades.
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Not only were the blades delayed due to issues such as high winds and vandalism, but at one stage during construction the whole project had to be paused for a month due to the devastating impact it was having on Hawick town centre.
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The developer, Energiekontor, came under a lot of criticism due to the disruption caused by the slow-moving convoys which carried the 65m (210ft) blades. Due to their size, the convoys required a police escort for the safety of other road users.
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The scheme was originally refused by Scottish Borders Council’s planning and building standards committee due to its "unacceptable impacts" on the nearby Penchrise Pen fort, in addition to the adverse impact on the landscape. However, following an appeal to the Scottish government, it was given the green light.
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The seven-turbine wind farm is located between Bonchester Bridge and Hawick and is expected to produce about 92,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity every year on average.
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Sainsbury’s will acquire 100% of the electricity generated by Pines Burn Wind Farm.