ABP’s Port of Ayr provides key supply chain link in green energy expansion

Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading ports group, has welcomed the arrival of 24 wind-turbine blades and the sections for eight towers, which will provide enough power to provide 5,600 households and businesses with cheap, green energy from Ripple Energy’s new Kirk Hill Wind Farm, ABP press release said.

The project to import all eight turbines was completed in less than a month, with four general cargo ships arriving at ABP’s Port of Ayr and discharging their cargo between 8th and 29th May, and which will remain on the port until they are ready to be moved to near Kirkoswald, where the wind farm will be located.

Ripple Energy enables households and businesses to own their own source of green electricity via part-ownership of large-scale wind farms and solar parks. Kirk Hill Wind Farm is their second project, and is thought to be the largest consumer-owned wind farm anywhere. Once constructed it will be made up of eight turbines, and take less than 10 minutes to generate enough electricity to power a typical home for a whole year and save 31,760 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

Sarah Merrick, Founder and CEO, Ripple Energy said:

“Kirk Hill is the biggest addition to our wind farm family, and we’re delighted to have reached this exciting milestone in the project, which is expected to be completed in early 2024.

“It was a precise operation to discharge such large cargo from the vessels, which was expertly handled by a skilled team at ABP and in collaboration with the crane operators from Forsyth and hauliers from Collett.”

Andrew Harston, Regional Director, Wales and Short Sea ports, ABP said:

“As part of ABP’s commitment to supporting the acceleration of the UK’s energy transition, we are pleased to be able to provide the necessary port infrastructure to support the delivery of an important project, which is helping to meet net zero targets.

“ABP itself has committed to becoming a Net Zero business by 2040, as well as to supporting our customers to achieve their own decarbonisation ambitions, and to achieve these goals collaboration is key, which is why we are pleased to be working with Ripple Energy to support the development of a new energy infrastructure in Scotland.

“ABP is also pleased to have the space to accommodate the safe storage of the turbines and blades until they are ready to begin construction.”

The delivery of this project, through ABP’s Port of Ayr, comes after the port recently supported the delivery of Vattenfall’s South Kyle wind farm, made up of 50 turbines in East Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway.