UK Coal turns green

UK Coal has revealed plans to build new wind farms on the sites of former collieries.

The initiative has been welcomed by the UK Coal shareholders and, as a result the company’s share value has increased by ten per cent.

UK Coal, although it still operates six active surface mines, has decided to go green in a joint venture with Peel Energy. The partnership plans to build 54 turbines on 14 old coalmine sites. It is hoped that this will generate 133 Megawatts (MW), providing enough energy to supply 75,000 households with electric power.

John Lloyd, the chief executive of UK Coal, has expressed his belief that there is a significant opportunity to build wind farms on parts of their land portfolio, in alliance with Peel Energy, which is the UK’s most active wind power developing company.

Similarly, Steven Underwood, director of Peel Energy, showed optimism over the current agreement with UK Coal, calling it: “an important step forward for Peel Energy, significantly expanding its onshore pipeline and gaining access to some of the UK's best wind farm locations.”

Peel Energy has in excess of 450 MW units of power, and is involved in the largest onshore wind farm project in England, at Scout Moor in Lancashire, where 26 turbines have been sited.

In comparison, Clyde wind farm in Scotland, which is currently under construction, will become the biggest onshore scheme to tame wind in Europe, comprising 152 turbines making up to 548 MW of electric power.

The European Union has a target to generate 20 per cent of all its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Recent years have seen an increased effort to exploit renewable energy sources in an attempt to achieve this goal.