New wind-energy fund to address aviation concerns
The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) today announced a new fund to help resolve aviation issues that are holding up wind-energy projects.
The £3.2 million Aviation Investment Fund Company Ltd. (AIFC) will be used to support advanced technologies that can eliminate potential problems such as wind turbine interference with radar.
According to the BWEA, some 4,700 megawatts’ worth of wind-energy projects are currently being held up because of military or civil aviation concerns.
“The Aviation Fund shows the wind industry’s commitment to resolve aviation objections as a barrier to further wind energy deployment,” said Maria McCaffery, BWEA Chief Executive. “We have brought key parties to the table and have progressed negotiations from a Memorandum of Understanding last year, to the establishment of a fund management company to administer and oversee deployment of the funds raised.”
Among the energy companies participating in the fund are Airtricity, Banks Developments, E.ON Climate & Renewables, EDF Energy Renewables, Ecotricity, Falck Renewables, Novera Energy Plc, RES UK & Ireland, RWE Npower Renewables, ScottishPower Renewables, Vattenfall, West Coast Energy, Wind Prospect and Your Energy. The BWEA said it will continue to look for additional companies to take part in the programme.
“Creating this aviation fund is a tremendous effort by wind farm developers in the current economic climate,” said Simon Christian, chair of the AIFC board and project development director at ScottishPower Renewables. “We now look forward to funding new and innovative technologies to overcome aviation planning objections to ensure the timely delivery of renewable energy projects to meet government climate change targets.”
