This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7517176.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Green light for massive wind farm | Green light for massive wind farm |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Plans to build Europe's largest onshore wind farm in South Lanarkshire have been approved by Scottish ministers. | |
| The 152-turbine Clyde wind farm near Abington, will be capable of powering up to 320,000 homes. | |
| The £600m scheme from Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) is expected to create 200 jobs during construction, with 30 staff employed on completion. | |
| At present, the largest wind farm in Scotland is currently being built on Eaglesham Moor to the south of Glasgow. | At present, the largest wind farm in Scotland is currently being built on Eaglesham Moor to the south of Glasgow. |
| Details of the Clyde wind farm were announced by First Minister Alex Salmond at the World Renewable Energy Congress in Glasgow. | Details of the Clyde wind farm were announced by First Minister Alex Salmond at the World Renewable Energy Congress in Glasgow. |
| We have put renewable energy at the heart of our vision of increasing sustainable, economic growth Alex SalmondFirst Minister "The Scottish Government has an ambitious target to generate 31% of Scotland's electricity demand from renewable sources by 2011 and 50% by 2020," he said. | We have put renewable energy at the heart of our vision of increasing sustainable, economic growth Alex SalmondFirst Minister "The Scottish Government has an ambitious target to generate 31% of Scotland's electricity demand from renewable sources by 2011 and 50% by 2020," he said. |
| "Today's announcement makes it virtually certain that the 2011 target will be met early and represents a significant milestone on the way to achieving the 2020 target. | "Today's announcement makes it virtually certain that the 2011 target will be met early and represents a significant milestone on the way to achieving the 2020 target. |
| "Scotland has a clear, competitive advantage in developing clean, green energy sources such as wind, wave and tidal power. | "Scotland has a clear, competitive advantage in developing clean, green energy sources such as wind, wave and tidal power. |
| "We have put renewable energy at the heart of our vision of increasing sustainable, economic growth." | "We have put renewable energy at the heart of our vision of increasing sustainable, economic growth." |
| The approval for the development between Biggar and Moffat follows a public inquiry which was concluded in 2006. | |
| Renewable targets | |
| Construction is due to begin within the next year, with final completion in 2011. | |
| The phased build will see turbines erected in clusters on either side of the M74 motorway. | |
| Ian Marchant, chief executive of SSE, said: "Projects like Clyde are essential if Scotland and the UK are to have any hope of meeting legally-binding EU targets for renewable energy. | |
| "Giving the Clyde wind farm consent is evidence of a willingness to take decisions which are consistent with that ambition." | |
| Once operational, the wind farm will will have a total capacity of 548 megawatts (MW). | |
| The under-construction wind farm on Eaglesham Moor will have a total capacity of 322MW. | The under-construction wind farm on Eaglesham Moor will have a total capacity of 322MW. |
| Currently the biggest operational wind farm in Europe is the Maranchon wind farm in Guadalajara, Spain, which has a generating capacity of 208MW. | Currently the biggest operational wind farm in Europe is the Maranchon wind farm in Guadalajara, Spain, which has a generating capacity of 208MW. |