Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh (Barra and Vatersay Community) Limited is a company incorporated as private limited by guarantee SC285873
and a Scottish Charity SC041923
NEWS
‘Power to the People’
Barra named as pioneering
community.
Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh’s efforts have been most recently recognised online by Triodos Bank. Triodos Bank published an article highlighting the importance of community owned renewables, and their importance of generating green energy as a long-term source of income for local neighbourhoods. The article published in 2014 refers to Barra as a pioneering community. To read the article, click on the link below. https://www.triodos.co.uk/en/about- triodos/news-and-media/colour-of- money/Power-to-the-people/ Barra turbine could be one of the most productive in Western Europe Published 09:45 Tuesday 14 January 2014 by the Stornoway Gazette http://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/news/local- headlines/barra-turbine-could-be-one-of-most- productive-in-western-europe-1-3267281 A community wind turbine on Barra could be one of the most productive in Western Europe due to the incredible wind resource on the island. The turbine has been installed at Gòb Sgùrabhal, the most north westerly point of the Isle of Barra, and promises to be one of the most productive 900kW turbines in Western Europe thanks to the incredible wind resource on the island. Pioneered by the islanders who have formed Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh, a community company, the £2.2m project has been funded by the UK’s leading sustainable bank, Triodos Bank N.V and through vital subsidies from the Scottish Government. Project leader, Euan Scott, comments on the commissioning of the turbine: “It has been a long journey, involving lots of hurdles but it has definitely been worth it. By using local companies and individuals where possible, the project has not only built capacity on the island but also maximised the economic benefit to the local community during construction phase. The turbine, when commissioned, will provide revenue for years to come which will help to address practical needs on the island such as providing funding towards building an all-weather sports pitch or supporting social and respite services for the elderly and providing grants for young people so they can more easily travel to events and courses on the mainland. The community as a whole will have their say on how they want to see the money spent, emphasising the fact the wind turbine is a community owned and managed asset.”Coimhearsnachd
Bharraidh agus
Bhatarsaidh
Recieves National
Award
CBAB recieves an award from
the Scottish Green Energy
Awards.
Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh has received an award from the Scottish Green Energy Awards. Representatives from CBAB traveled to Edinburgh in late November to attend the awards, in which CBAB had been nominated for ‘Best Community Project Award’. Congratulations to all the staff and local community who worked tirelessly to make the Turbine the success it is. Moran Taing!
Updates on Heb
News
Councillor queries ferry
route tendering
http://www.hebrides-news.com/ferry-route- tendering-30615.html
Triodos Bank has been involved with the
Barra project since 2008 and has provided
ongoing, hands on support.
Norrie Cruickshank from Triodos Bank’s
Environment Team explained: “Most other
banks would have run away from a project of
this size and complexity. The technical
element and logistics around building the
turbine at a location on the island where there
is no pier were significant. But the community
was incredibly motivated and deployed their
best people to oversee the construction of a
beach landing, using local contractors and
therefore helping to maintain the local
economy. The Barra and Vatersay project is
just the sort of development that Triodos Bank
loves to get behind when it can. It
demonstrates unequivocally that collective
ownership can deliver tangible benefits for the
community.”
Local Councillor, Donald Manford, has
watched the project unfold over the last eight
years, he said: “The significance of this
achievement cannot be overstated. The
single-minded determination to succeed is a
tribute to the entire community and our
financiers, Triodos Bank, without which it
could not have happened.”
Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing, commented:
“The people of Barra should be seen as an
exemplar for other communities in Scotland.
The community turbine – that the Scottish
Government has been able to offer support to
from our Community and Renewable Energy
Scheme and Renewable Energy Investment
Fund – shows the potential for sharing the
rich rewards of our renewable energy
resources amongst communities across
Scotland.
“The Scottish Government CARES scheme
aims to provide loans towards the high risk,
pre-planning consent stages of renewable
energy projects which have significant
community engagement and benefit. CARES
is leading the way across the UK in how we
support local ownership of renewable
energy.”
