New figures have revealed that the two North West wind farms that are owned and operated by renewable energy firm Banks Renewables generated enough electricity last year to meet the annual power needs of more than 16,700 homes.
The Armistead scheme, which sits to the east of the M6 between junctions 36 and 37, and the Heysham South wind farm generated more than 52,000 MWh of power between them during 2019, and by doing so, displaced around 13,150 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the electricity supply network.
The family-owned firm is now planning to deploy further renewable energy technologies at sites across northern England with new projects which it hopes to be able to progress in the coming months.
The six-turbine Armistead wind farm led the way by generating 30,000 MWh during 2019, while the three-turbine Heysham South scheme produced 22,200 MWh in the same 12 months.
The two wind farms also generated around £24,000 between them for their respective community benefits funds during 2019, which each provide financial support for capital projects being undertaken by groups and good causes in their respective local communities.
Banks Renewables is one of the leading owner/operators in the UK's onshore wind sector and has a total of eight operational sites across northern England, with a further two in Scotland and plans for more to follow.
Richard Dunkley, managing director at Banks Renewables, says: "Armistead and Heysham South have been performing well for many years and continue to not only generate substantial amounts of clean green electricity, but also tangible financial benefits for the communities in which they're based.
"We're currently working on a number of innovative renewable energy projects, including solar energy and battery storage schemes, which will further increase our contribution towards the UK's net zero' goals and look forward to working with local communities and authorities as we bring them forward.
"Using the widest possible range of renewable energy generation technologies will allow the UK to decarbonise its power supply and achieve its climate change targets more quickly, while also benefiting British consumers through lower energy prices, and we think there's a lot more to be done to make this happen."
