Assets of Banks Renewables hit three million megawatt hours landmark

The family-owned company's produced green energy in total is enough to meet the annual electricity needs of around 1,040,000 homes – or a city three times the size of Birmingham (1.14 million inhabitants). Furthermore a total of around £3,500,000 has so far been distributed from the community funds linked to each wind farm, which provide funding for voluntary groups, environmental projects, and good causes in their respective communities.

Richard Dunkley, managing director at Banks Renewables, says: “The far-sightedness of our decision to use revenues generated from coal mining to drive a successful diversification into the renewable energy sector has been amply demonstrated over almost two decades. Alongside the environmental and energy security benefits they’re delivering, our wind farms also make a vital, long-term contribution to the well-being of the communities in which they’re located, a contribution which is well recognised by the people who live in them."

Banks Renewables currently operates ten wind farms in total - four onshore wind farms in Yorkshire, as well as two each in North East England, North West England and Scotland. The developer will increase its portfolio with the 15-turbine Kype Muir Extension Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire which is due to come online imminently, while it has also secured planning permission for the Lethans and Mill Rig Wind Farms in Scotland. The company recently also secured planning permission to extend the lifespan of its Armistead Wind Farm in South Cumbria up to a maximum of 40 years, and is looking to do the same for four more of its wind farms across Yorkshire and the North East.

Alongside its onshore wind developments, Banks is also looking to deploy further renewable energy technologies across the UK.