Ørsted has awarded nineteen organizations from Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and North Norfolk in the UK with grants from the third round of its East Coast Community Fund.
The Denmark-based company launched the fund in December 2016 as part of its community engagement program, committing to make up to GBP 9.3 million available for local residents to benefit from the Race Bank and Hornsea Project One offshore wind farms.
Approximately GBP 390,000 will be available from the main fund to support a wide range of community and environmental projects every year until 2037, with an additional GBP 75,000 per year for a skills fund, designed to support a range of educational and training initiatives.
The nineteen community groups will each receive a share of the windfall available every six months through an open application process, with the next closing on 1 August 2018.
“Congratulations to all of our community benefit fund recipients; nineteen worthy projects which our independent panel believe will make a big difference in their community, and looking at the work these organisations do, I agree,” Natasha Nanuck , Stakeholder Advisor at Ørsted, said.
“Our East Coast Community Fund was set up voluntarily for exactly this reason, to give a financial boost to commendable projects which will bring value to coastal communities. We’re excited to be contributing towards a long lasting, positive impact locally.”
The fund, administered by the national charity GrantScape, has donated more than GBP 500,000 to over 50 projects to date, Ørsted said.
The 573MW Race Bank offshore wind project comprises 91 Siemens Gamesa 6MW turbines located off the North Norfolk coast. Ørsted and project partners, Macquarie and Sumitomo, will officially open the wind farm on 13 June.
Hornsea Project One , currently being built off the Yorkshire coast, will comprise 174 7MW wind turbines and will with its 1.2GW capacity become the world’s biggest offshore wind farm once commissioned in 2020.