Green MSP for the Lothian region, Alison Johnstone, officially opened Drumduff Wind Farm just outside Edinburgh on Saturday, as the focus of a well attended family-oriented, public open day. Three 2.85MW wind turbines are built on a former opencast coal mine reflecting our transition to clean, renewable energy.
We were particularly pleased with the level of community support for the event. Four hundred people, the majority local residents, turned up to get up close to a wind turbine and find out how it all works. There were lots of family friendly activities on offer for the Open Day and we’d like to thank everyone who provided support, including:
- ExplorerDome for their engaging and interactive renewable energy science show;
- Angus Cycle Hub for the bike track and eccentric bike experience;
- GE for showing our guests inside the turbine;
- Scottish Women’s Institute for an array of tasty baking and refreshments;
- Love 2 Waffle for their delicious hot waffles;
- Butterfly conservation for their heightened awareness and kids’ activities
- Zoe’s Face Painting for tireless and inspired arts of work throughout the day;
- Baillies Marquees for providing shelter from the elements in case we needed it;
Adrian Warman, Operations Manager, who organised the event from Thrive, said: “It was a great day for all of us to come together, invite local people to visit the site and celebrate the change from polluting fossil fuels of the past to renewable technology which will power our future. Hundreds of people came along, got involved and helped create a really great atmosphere. The weather held and everyone had a good time.”
The Drumduff wind farm is a joint venture between Thrive Renewables and GreenPower International and is forecast to supply enough electricity to power the equivalent of 5,500 homes each year. It is situated on a brownfield site which is gradually returning to its natural state. We have installed bird and bat boxes to encourage wildlife and will be working with the local community to identify other improvements which can be made at the site.
Robert Forrest, CEO at GreenPower International, said “The opening of Drumduff Wind Farm brings to fruition years of hard work transforming a derelict former coal mine into a clean source of green power for generations to come. This project makes an important contribution to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and tackling climate change.”
“Very informative. A lot of effort in place to allow people to visit and find out more information.”
“Thought we would stay for half an hour and have a look around – absolutely great, have been here all day!”
“It is heartening and reassuring to see more green energy projects in any area of the country. Maybe we can turn around the impact we have on the environment. The day has given me a new ray of hope!”
