Renewable electricity for ice cream producer

The installation of a wind turbine on an Aberdeenshire dairy farm where Mackie’s of Scotland luxury ice cream is produced is expected to pay for itself in the next four to five years. The company’s strong environmental policy led to its installation. Mac Mackie explains, ‘We are continually looking for different ways to use the resource of our farm, and wind is a resource that is free — and abundant. ‘The wind turbine has the capacity to produce 850 kW of power and will supply enough power for our whole business — making us the country’s first renewable-energy ice cream.’ The electricity bill is currently about £120 000 a year, and the £750 000 investment is expected to be recovered over the next four to five years producing over 6 Ml of ice cream a year. The project was carried out by Hydro Contracting and involved all design work associated with the 44 m-high turbine, the installation of 11 kV switchgear and reconfiguring the existing electrical distribution system. Hydro Contracting has seen the renewable-energy side of its business expand rapidly over the last few years. Bob Bell, regional director, says, ‘More and more organisations are recognising the importance of renewable energy, and we hope the success of this project will encourage other companies in the area to consider the potential benefits for their own business.’

Related links:

• www.s-e-c.co.uk/hydro.html