Wind project breezes its way to competition final

A COMMUNITY wind turbine project led by two Edinburgh voluntary groups has made it through to the final round of a UK-wide competition to win up to £100,000.

Pedal and Greener Leith hope to build Scotland’s first community-owned urban wind turbine on Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works in Edinburgh.

Just 19 projects have made it into the final round of voting.

Winning the grant is incumbent on support from local residents and the groups are now appealing for backing for the project, which can be registered at www.energyshare.com/voting until December 3.

The turbine, which is predicted to cost between £1 million and £3.5m to build, could be running by early 2013 if planning permission is granted and funding is in place.

Eva Schonveld, chairwoman of PEDAL, said: “If we win the public vote by December 3, the project will take a big step towards reality.”