16 OCTOBER 2013: RES AND BLUE ENERGY COMBINE CONSTRUCTION OF TWO WIND FARMS TO REDUCE LOCAL IMPACTS 

A landmark agreement between renewable energy developers RES and Blue Energy will see the companies working together to combine the construction of two wind farm projects in Cambridgeshire, with the aim of significantly reducing environmental and community impacts.

RES' six turbine scheme called Wryde Croft and Blue Energy's seven turbine scheme called Nutsgrove, formerly owned by RidgeWind, were approved in April 2010. Both projects were subject to an aviation planning condition relating to RAF activities in the area, the resolution of which has seen the construction timeline for both projects coincide.

Jon Knight, RES Project Manager, explains: "Having two adjacent wind farm projects coming into construction at the same time is unique in our experience, but Blue Energy agreed with RES that the opportunity to combine construction activities and minimise local impacts was too good to miss."

Nigel Goodhew, Blue Energy, endorses these arrangements: "These projects have been in the development pipeline for several years and we are excited to be working with RES to finally construct these projects. We look forward to developing a successful combined wind farm scheme that will generate a considerable amount of clean, green electricity."

By treating the two projects as a single 13 turbine site during the construction phase RES and Blue Energy can significantly reduce impacts on local communities and the environment. For example, the combined scheme will require one control building rather than two, whilst the on-site track and infrastructure layout can be optimised to significantly reduce the amount of aggregates and other materials required, resulting in fewer traffic movements on nearby roads.

RES and Blue Energy are also seeking to extend the co-operation during construction into other areas in order to maximise benefits to local communities. For example, there will be a single point of contact for community liaison, rather than local people having to deal with two different sources of information. The two companies are also exploring the practicalities of combining the community benefits package relating to the two sites to provide support commensurate with a 13 turbine wind farm.

Jon Knight says: "RES and Blue Energy are fully committed to delivering real and tangible benefits to the communities hosting our wind farm projects and we will be engaging fully with local communities about the improved benefits that Wryde Croft-Nutsgrove will offer, and what form those benefits will take, in the coming months."