Europe’s largest wind farm, Whitelee already has a generating capacity of 322 MW, which will increase to 600 MW once it is fully operational in the next few years. The current output of the wind farm, located 15 kilometres outside Glasgow, is the equivalent to the annual consumption of 180,000 households and prevents the emission of 500,000 tonnes of CO2. The wind farm covers 15 kilometres and comprises 140 wind turbines.
During the opening ceremony, Alex Salmond announced that the Scottish government had authorised the company to expand the wind farm by another 130 MW, putting its total installed capacity at 452 MW. Furthermore, Iberdrola Renovables, through its Scottish subsidiary ScottishPower Renewables, has initiated a viability study for a second 140 MW capacity increase, which would put total capacity at almost 600 MW.
During the inauguration ceremony, the chairman of Iberdrola Renovables stated that “Whitelee represents a milestone in Scottish history. Not only is it the largest wind farm in Europe, but also one of the biggest in the world”.
Commitment to the UK
Iberdrola Renovables, the global leader in wind energy, with 9,700 MW of installed capacity, is looking to Scotland and the rest of the UK as one of its main drivers of growth.
Ignacio Galán affirmed that the “Iberdrola Group is deeply committed to the UK and Scotland and wants to be a driver of development and growth in the area. In Scotland, our goal is to create wealth and well-being through our investments and purchases from local suppliers and to create jobs”. The construction of Whitelee provided employment for 500 people.
