Construction at Solwaybank, an onshore wind construction asset, displays careful consideration of the environment and material use, with local stone utilised for the site. A total of 20,000m³ of materials was sourced on site using the local borrow-pits. This reduced onsite traffic and pollution, resulting in the equivalent of approximately 4,000 vehicle movements being taken off the road. During construction it was necessary to convert the turbine bases to accept an new turbine type following the original supplier entering into administration. An innovative solution devised by engineers at RES resulted in the avoidance of 4,000m³ of concrete waste, as well as 800 vehicle movements being removed from the project.
Following construction, compensatory planting has meant that more than 90,000 trees of varying varieties have been planted, including 14,000 native non-commercial broadleaf trees. Careful consideration and management of the environment has resulted in positive planting growth. It is expected that native broadleaves will flourish across the site and establish quickly, with many reaching heights of 3ft-4ft within the year. This project will help increase biodiversity and provide an attractive scenic location for people and local wildlife.