UK Coal Mining Sites To Host Wind Farms

Under an agreement signed by UK Coal plc and Peel Energy, land previously used for coal mining may be repurposed for wind farms.

The agreement provides a framework to identify, assess and potentially develop wind farms on sites within UK Coal’s land portfolio. UK Coal said the agreement will have no impact on its coal mining operations.

Peel Energy has experience in wind farm development in the UK. Initially, the Agreement provides Peel Energy with a two-year period of exclusivity to work together with UK COAL to identify and evaluate sites suitable for wind farm development.

If a site is submitted for planning permission, a special purpose company will be formed by Peel Energy, and UK COAL will be granted an option to acquire a 50% equity share. At the same time, UK COAL will grant the special purpose company an option for a 30 year lease over the relevant land at an open market rent.

UK Coal has agreed that 14 wind farm sites, already identified by UK Coal, will be covered by the Agreement. These projects are at varying stages of development and, if all were successful, would have the potential for 54 wind turbines generating up to 133 megawatts (MW) of power.

Steven Underwood, Director of Peel Energy, said: “This agreement is an important step for Peel Energy, significantly expanding its onshore pipeline and gaining access to some of the UK’s best potential wind farm locations. We look forward to working with UK Coal to realise the wind power potential of its extensive land portfolio. ”

Peel Energy is a part of the Peel Group.