Locals can buy into wind farm

Local residents near the site of the UK's largest co-operative wind farm are being given a chance to own a share in the renewable energy facility.

Some £1.8 million worth of shares in the Kilbraur Wind Energy Co-operative are being sold off at £1 a share.

The minimum purchase is £250 while the maximum is £20,000.

Anybody can buy shares in the 47.5MW wind farm, though priority will go to locals, followed by residents of Sutherland, then Caithness, Ross-shire and City of Inverness.

Shareholders already involved in Energy4All's 15 other projects will also be given priority.

An Energy4All spokesman told New Energy Focus that the wind farm's 19 turbines are all expected to be operational by mid-September.

Paul Phare, Scotland development manager for Energy4All, said: "We're ethical, green and democratic - we have local people on the boards for each co-op. With Kilbraur we'd like our existing members to take an interest, and we'd particularly like people from the local town of Inverness to invest. If we can match our other projects and reach £1 million of investment, then we'll be very happy."

Another Energy4All project is now underway, following the granting of permission for a 50-metre anemometer to measure wind in Harborough.