AlphaReal, a specialist real-asset investment manager, has just completed construction of a 13.5 MW onshore wind farm near Rigmuir, Scotland.
The project marks a first for AlphaReal in the reuse of disused industrial sites for the production of clean energy.
The site, formerly used as a landfill for domestic waste, is currently being restored by the landowner.
This initiative is part of a wider approach to land remediation, while meeting the UK’s sustainability objectives. The project was acquired as a greenfield with planning permission and grid connection already approved, via CleanEarth, who also successfully oversaw the construction and commissioning of the three turbines.
This achievement demonstrates AlphaReal’s commitment to developing renewable energy solutions by maximizing the use of underutilized industrial land.
Logistics Innovation and Business Partnership
The transport of turbine components has been made possible by the use of innovative “blade lifter” technology.
This technology enables the blades to be mounted horizontally on trailers, with the possibility of tilting them up to an angle of 60 degrees, thus facilitating access to narrow haul roads or dense residential and commercial areas.
In addition, AlphaReal recently signed a physical Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) for the site, which will commence in September 2024 with a leading European packaging company with multiple sites across the UK. This contract underlines the growing interest of companies in stable and sustainable renewable energy sources.
Market trends and investment prospects
A recent survey by AlphaReal of UK pension funds and insurers, collectively representing almost £360 billion in assets, reveals that 87% of respondents plan to increase their investments in onshore wind over the next five years.
Of these, 30% are planning significant increases in their allocations.
Onshore wind power is thus perceived as the preferred renewable energy solution by institutional investors in the UK, with two-thirds of respondents already claiming to have allocated funds to it.
Maria Vaggione, ESG Associate Director at AlphaReal, points out that this site strengthens their renewable assets portfolio, which now exceeds £1 billion.
It not only meets growing investor demand, but also contributes to increasing renewable energy capacity, while promoting land rehabilitation and biodiversity restoration.
