One of the responsibilities of my role as Governor is to find ways to reduce the overheads of the prison and therefore provide better value for the taxpayer. The development of the wind energy park has been fascinating to both watch and be part of. I am very proud to be able to view these turbines, now built, from my office window!.

Sarah Coccia, Governor of the Sheppey Prison Cluster

PfR also hopes, subject to a public sector procurement process, to operate a future private wire so that the prison can directly benefit from the electricity generated by the turbines, cutting operating costs and further improving the prison's carbon footprint.

The turbines were formally switched on by Gordon Henderson, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, at a launch event attended by a range of local stakeholders, including parish and district councillors, and representatives of the various consultees and professionals who have been involved with the project, as well as the company's shareholders and staff.

I am a big supporter of renewable energy, not only from an environmental perspective, but because I believe it is vital to long term energy security in our country. Despite what the critics would have us believe, wind can become a cheap and clean energy source. Of course, where wind turbines are located is important. I believe that on balance these two turbines are in an acceptable location which is why I am delighted to officially switch them on.

Gordon Henderson MP

Extensive community engagement has been a crucial factor in the successful commissioning of the turbines. A contribution of over £10,000 a year will be made to a community benefit fund to assist projects in the local area. Local parish councillors, stakeholder groups, and individual residents are invited to take part in the decisions on the allocation of the fund, a process entirely independent of the developer.

A great deal of work was undertaken by PfR to ensure that sensitive reptile species such as grass snake, adder, common lizard and slow worm were protected during construction. Bird monitoring and habitat management will be ongoing over a 90 acre area for the whole 25 year life of the project, supporting and protecting key species such as marsh harriers and bats. Habitat improvements include a converted "bat bunker" in an old air raid shelter and a reptile enhancement area covering 2.4 acres.

PfR also engaged with the local fishing club that uses a nearby pond to turn waste and material recycling requirements to the advantage of the local community. The pond was leaking, so PfR gave the club the clay dug out for the turbines' foundations and relined it for them. They also carried over the aggregate from the temporary construction compound so that the anglers could have an all-weather car park for the first time.

I am delighted that we have reached the milestone of our first development project to generate power. Standford Hill sets us on the way to achieving our target portfolio of 460MW of onshore wind generating capacity, the majority of which will be delivered in partnership with public bodies. This is a big step for our company and its partners, and I hope it is a development that both the Ministry of Justice and the Isle of Sheppey can feel proud of.

Stephen Ainger, CEO of Partnerships for Renewables

Onshore wind is recognised as one of the least costly and most easily delivered forms of renewable energy. The UK enjoys the greatest wind resource in Europe and already has the largest portfolio of installed offshore capacity in the world. Since 2008, wind energy has more than doubled its contribution to the UK energy supply.

Notes to editors:

Partnerships for Renewables is a wind energy developer originally set up by the Carbon Trust to primarily focus on working with public sector bodies to help them access the economic and environmental benefits associated with renewable energy.

Originally wholly owned by the Carbon Trust, Partnerships for Renewables now also benefits from significant investments by major international private infrastructure funds. Carbon Trust Enterprises retains a one third ownership, with the HSBC Environmental Infrastructure Fund (now InfraRed) taking a large equity stake in 2008, followed by OPTrust Private Markets Group (the Canadian Ontario
State pension fund) in 2010.

Although public sector partnerships remain the bulk of the project portfolio, the company is also active in assembling sites in multiple private/public ownerships where opportunities arise, together with other sites that are purely private.

Our project portfolio is highly diverse, both in terms of size and geographical location. In addition to our portfolio of larger sites in Scotland, some of 50MW and above, we are proud to be one of the very few companies with blue-chip investors focusing on the smaller scale onshore wind development opportunities (up to 10MW) across the whole of Great Britain.