ScottishPower Granted Final Planning for On-shore Windfarm

ScottishPower has been granted final planning consent for Europe's largest on-shore windfarm, the 322MW Whitelee project south of Glasgow. It will provide enough green energy to power 200,000 homes, roughly equivalent to the city's demand.

The £300 million, 140 turbine project approved today by the Scottish Executive, will cover 55km² of open moor land and commercial forestry and makes a significant contribution to Scotland's renewable energy target for 2010.

ScottishPower's Chief Executive, Philip Bowman, said: "This project is of national importance as we have always maintained that large windfarms, in appropriate locations, are vital to meeting the UK's ambitious renewable energy targets.

"Whitelee is our second large windfarm in Scotland's Central Belt and another excellent example of where and how these large projects can be developed – the location on Eaglesham moor is close to population centres such as Glasgow, is near existing grid and road infrastructure and most importantly has an excellent wind resource.

"The successful development of Whitelee highlights the importance of clarity and consistency from the Government in the operation of its Renewables Obligation. It is vital that the integrity of the RO policy and its implementation remains intact, otherwise investment confidence will be damaged and the UK's renewables' target threatened."

ScottishPower is already the largest generator of wind power in the UK and, including Whitelee, has now had four projects totalling over 400MW approved for construction over the last six months.

The final approval follows support from the three local authorities: East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and East Ayrshire, and a positive response from local communities after extensive consultation.

A key element to gaining consent was the combined effort of British Airports Authority, National Air Traffic Services, Civil Aviation Authority and ScottishPower to ensure the project will have no adverse effect on the operation of radar equipment at Glasgow airport. The agreed solution is to provide a new radar tower at Kincardine in Fife, expected to be completed in 2007.

Significant work has also been agreed with the Met Office leading to the relocation of its weather radar from the Whitelee site to two new locations providing enhanced weather detection across the Central Belt of Scotland.

Plans for recreational facilities, including a state-of-the-art visitor centre and extensive cycle and walking routes are being finalised with local authorities and will be announced later this year. It is envisioned that the central location of the windfarm will attract large numbers of interested visitors.

Construction at the site will start this summer, with the first turbines arriving in late 2007 and the first units becoming operational in 2008. The whole windfarm, including the visitor centre, is expected to be completed by the summer of 2009.

ScottishPower currently has 15 operational windfarms in the UK & Ireland totalling 288MW. Seven projects have been consented, or are under construction totalling 492MW, with 10 projects in planning totalling 840MW.

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Posted 03/05/06

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