Drumduff Wind Farm
Drumduff Wind Farm is a 3 turbine project located 1½ miles north of Blackridge, West Lothian, on the site of a former opencast coal mine. Construction took just 7 months, and the turbines became operational in July 2017. The generation export capacity is 6.26MW.
In 2018 the project won the prestigious Sustainable Development Award at the Scottish Green Energy Awards, in recognition of the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Project details
Construction of the wind farm commenced at the end of January 2017. This included the main civils and electrical works, such as upgrading and creation of access tracks, constructing the turbine foundations and carrying out improvement works on local roads.
The Drumduff Wind Farm project was constructed by Green Breeze Energy Limited, a joint venture between GreenPower (Drumduff) Ltd and Thrive Renewables.
This film shows the transformation from an open cast mine to a wind farm.
A 3-turbine extension to the project was approved in 2024.
Community benefits
A feasibility study carried out with NatureScot in 2019, identified that local communities around Blackridge wanted to see more paths and cycle routes constructed so there was easier access to the wider countryside and the Blawhorn Moss National Nature Reserve. In the Autumn of 2021, with financial support from Drumduff Wind Farm, NatureScot oversaw the construction of 170 metres of low impact boardwalk with an official opening held in March 2022. A further 250 metres was added in 2023 and there are plans being developed for a further extension and a circular route back to the village. Other grants were awarded to support the community during COVID, and together with the local council and the Blackridge Craig Inn Community Centre Management Committee, GreenPower is currently exploring a future strategic project to support the Blackridge community.
The Nature Reserve is a rare survivor of the raised and blanket bogs that once covered much of central Scotland, with over 8,000 years of history locked into the peat layers of this raised bog. Visitors can search for carnivorous sundews, spot dragonflies and damselflies, heath spotted orchids and curlews, and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of this hidden jewel of a nature reserve.
Local supply chain
Benefits to the community is more than simply funding local initiatives, it is also about involving local businesses in developing the project and providing contracts and services. Operational services are carried out by GreenPower operations staff and supported by the locally based GE (Wind Turbine Supplier) Operational and Maintenance team based in Livingston. The main civils work was undertaken by UK contractor, A E Yates Limited.
Contact
Please feel free to get in touch for more information.