Scottish homes to benefit from 9.6MW community wind project

Innovative financing deal will see surplus revenues from 9.6MW Pogbie onshore wind farm support homes in East Lothian and other local causes.Fuel poor homes in Scotland could benefit from a new community-owned onshore wind farm set to open in East Lothian later this year, under an innovative new Scottish government-backed scheme announced.Claimed to be one of the first deals of its kind in Scotland, the Pogbie onshore wind farm has been financed using a deal structure that supports not-for-profit energy supplier Our Power’s aims to tackle “fuel poverty”.The financing deal has secured £13m of debt funding to allow the acquisition and development of the Pogbie site, backed by a range of stakeholders including Mongoose Energy, Close Brothers Leasing and the Scottish Investment Bank’s Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIF), which is supported by the Scottish Government.Once completed later this year, the 12-turbine wind farm will boast a total capacity of 9.6MW, and under the financing deal net surpluses from the project are earmarked for the benefit of communities suffering fuel poverty and other local causes, Our Power said.Scotland’s energy minister, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, welcomed the Pogbie wind farm plans, towards which he said the Scottish government had provided £3.5m funding through the REIF.