Published: 21 Mar 2023, 16:47
The £12.8 million project will see two solar farms built on former landfill sites. Image: Getty.
North Ayrshire Council has awarded the tender of delivery for two Council-owned solar farms to construction engineering company Ameresco.
The £12.8 million project will see two solar farms built on former landfill sites: one at Nethermains, between Kilwinning and Irvine and another at Shewalton in Irvine.
Clean energy generated from the sites will help North Ayrshire achieve net zero by 2030, as well as provide an annual net income that can be reinvested locally, said the Council.
“This will be a transformational project which will provide clean, renewable energy and help us in our drive to reduce carbon emissions,” said councillor Tony Gurney, cabinet member for economy and climate change at North Ayrshire Council.
“Both Shewalton and Nethermains are both former landfill sites – with limited scope for alternative uses – so to see them transformed into a source of green energy will be wonderful.
“We have taken great strides in our efforts to curb climate change and have reduced our own carbon emissions by more than 68 per cent across the Council’s estate since 2005.
“While that shows progress has been made, we know we will need to go further and faster. That’s why ambitious projects such as the solar farms will be so important as we continue to move towards our target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.”