The Triton Knoll Community Fund has awarded its first round of grants to local communities nearby the onshore infrastructure of the 860MW offshore wind project in Lincolnshire, UK.
Twelve projects by communities from Hogsthorpe, Anderby and Brothertoft to Swineshead, Great Hale and Donington will share some GBP 115,000 of the windfall.
The first awards are from the GBP 500,000 Construction Fund which operates during the two years of construction of the Triton Knoll onshore electrical system.
“The level of interest we received demonstrates that there is definitely a strong local need for this type and level of local grant support, especially where groups find it difficult to access appropriate and flexible support elsewhere,” said Sue Fortune of Lincolnshire Community Foundation, which administers the fund.
“It’s been great to see such a range of really impactful projects coming forward during this first round and which can make a real difference right across our local communities. We’re already talking with other groups about the next round of funding, and we’d really like to encourage even more communities to think about how this flexible funding can be best used to support them.”
The fund was launched in August 2018 and is set to deliver a total of GBP 1.5 million into communities closest to the project’s onshore construction works and infrastructure.
The deadline for the submission of applications for the next round of grants is 1 May, with the review panel meeting scheduled for 19 June.
Triton Knoll will comprise 90 MHI Vestas 9.5MW wind turbines installed 33km off the Lincolnshire coast. Onshore activities began in September 2018 and will take about two years to be completed. First energy is scheduled for 2021.