Aberdeen City Council has unveiled ambitious plans to turn a derelict landfill site into a giant solar power farm.
Working with the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG), the council are seeking an initial £500,000 in lottery funding to develop proposals to transform the former landfill at Ness Farm, near Nigg Bay, into a multimillion pound solar energy complex. The 120 acre site closed in 2001. The first phase of the project will see enough solar panels installed at the site to generate one megawatt of electricity, which will help to establish the area as a base for research and training for jobs in the solar energy industry.
Councillor Barney Crockett, said the development would enhance Aberdeen's position as a "European-leading" energy city. He continued, "People don't appreciate that the north east of Scotland is quite a good area for harnessing solar energy. I think it is terrific that we can use a site that has been soiled and get new use out of it. Aberdeen is already at the forefront for skills in the energy sector and I think this project can provide great opportunities for research and for our young people to learn new skills."
The city council is seeking funding support from the Big Lottery Coastal Communities Fund, which is aimed at encouraging the economic development of coastal communities. Council officials expect to hear within the next month whether they have been successful.
