Biggest Windfarm in UK Opens on Old Scots Mining Site 42 Turbines Will Be Able to Power 70,000 Homes
Posted on: Thursday, 12 January 2006, 18:00 CST
By GERRY BRAIDEN
THE UK's biggest windfarm, capable of providing enough energy to power a town the size of Paisley, was opening today.
The Black Law windfarm, near Forth in Lanarkshire, has 42 turbines delivering 97 megawatts - enough to power 70,000 homes.
Taking up an area the size of 2000 football pitches, the project has been built on the site of an abandoned opencast coalmine in what was Scotland's mining heartland.
ScottishPower, which is behind the project, insists Black Law will lead the way in reaching Scotland's renewable energy targets by 2010 and will also cut carbon dioxide emissions by 200,000 tonnes a year.
A second phase of the project, with a further 12 turbines, is being built and will be completed in the summer.
The energy giant also claims the windfarm is just the first of several major projects and is hoping for planning permission for a much bigger scheme south of Glasgow later this year.
The GBP90million Black Law project, which was being officially opened by Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen, will make ScottishPower the biggest windpower generator in the UK.
John Campbell, the firm's wholesale energy director, said: "The environmental challenges facing our planet are enormous and we need to continue the rapid expansion of our wind energy programme if renewable targets are to be met and emissions of greenhouse gases reduced."
Spokesman Simon MacMillan added: "Scotland is the windiest country in Europe. In fact, it is estimated to have one-fifth of Europe's total wind resources.
"In the next couple of months we could have planning permission for a scheme at Whitelee forest on Eaglesham Moor, which could create enough power for 250,000 homes."
During the construction the Black Law area was restored to shallow wetlands and the farm also incorporates a habitat management project covering 14 square kilometres, said to be the biggest such project ever undertaken by any UK wind developer.
Today the scheme was praised by bird protection body RSPB, whose central Scotland conservation officer Simon Zisman said: "Black Law has taken a badly scarred site and vastly improved it. The damage done by opencast mining has been reversed.
"As well as improving the landscape, this will benefit a range of wildlife, notably breeding waders and farmland birds."
Source: Evening Times; Glasgow (UK)
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