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| Largest wind farm comes on stream | Largest wind farm comes on stream |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The final section of Europe's largest onshore wind farm is coming on stream as plans are under way to expand it. | The final section of Europe's largest onshore wind farm is coming on stream as plans are under way to expand it. |
| The £300m Whitelee development on Eaglesham Moor, in East Renfrewshire, is made up of 140 massive turbines. | The £300m Whitelee development on Eaglesham Moor, in East Renfrewshire, is made up of 140 massive turbines. |
| Developers ScottishPower Renewables estimate the wind farm can generate enough energy to power 180,000 homes. | Developers ScottishPower Renewables estimate the wind farm can generate enough energy to power 180,000 homes. |
| The firm wants to add 81 more turbines to the site. The application for the first 36 of them is being considered by the Scottish Government. | The firm wants to add 81 more turbines to the site. The application for the first 36 of them is being considered by the Scottish Government. |
| This is now the first over 300 megawatt wind farm in the United Kingdom and we believe others will follow Keith AndersonScottishPower Renewables class="" href="/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8058136.stm">Winds of change as event starts | |
| First Minister Alex Salmond is due to perform the official switch-on of the Whitelee wind farm, along with Ignacio Galan, chairman and chief Executive of Iberdrola, the Spanish owners of ScottishPower. | First Minister Alex Salmond is due to perform the official switch-on of the Whitelee wind farm, along with Ignacio Galan, chairman and chief Executive of Iberdrola, the Spanish owners of ScottishPower. |
| The development is made up of 140 turbines, across an area about the size of Glasgow city centre, each standing at 110m high. | The development is made up of 140 turbines, across an area about the size of Glasgow city centre, each standing at 110m high. |
| It began producing electricity in January 2008 and as the site nears completion the final stream of turbines is being switched on. | It began producing electricity in January 2008 and as the site nears completion the final stream of turbines is being switched on. |
| Director of ScottishPower Renewables Keith Anderson said it was a landmark for the country because of its size and scale. | Director of ScottishPower Renewables Keith Anderson said it was a landmark for the country because of its size and scale. |
| Mr Anderson said: "This is now the first over 300 megawatt wind farm in the United Kingdom and we believe others will follow." | Mr Anderson said: "This is now the first over 300 megawatt wind farm in the United Kingdom and we believe others will follow." |
| But he said more work was needed on infrastructure to develop the industry, particularly to improve power grid connections and capacity to handle even larger offshore wind farms and wave and tidal projects. | But he said more work was needed on infrastructure to develop the industry, particularly to improve power grid connections and capacity to handle even larger offshore wind farms and wave and tidal projects. |
| "We're currently in conversations with the Crown Estate and the Scottish Government about the development of an offshore wind farm off the west coast of Scotland which could be anything up to 1,800 megawatts, at least five- or six-times the size of Whitelee," he added. | "We're currently in conversations with the Crown Estate and the Scottish Government about the development of an offshore wind farm off the west coast of Scotland which could be anything up to 1,800 megawatts, at least five- or six-times the size of Whitelee," he added. |
| ScottishPower's Keith Anderson called for better power infrastructure | ScottishPower's Keith Anderson called for better power infrastructure |
| He said the site had generally received good support from the local community and local authorities and the biggest challenge had been potential interference with Glasgow Airport radar. | He said the site had generally received good support from the local community and local authorities and the biggest challenge had been potential interference with Glasgow Airport radar. |
| This led to the construction of a new radar tower for the airport at a disused power station in Kincardine. | This led to the construction of a new radar tower for the airport at a disused power station in Kincardine. |
| Eaglesham Community Council objected to the scheme on the grounds of its size and location, although the area's local authorities did not oppose the development. | Eaglesham Community Council objected to the scheme on the grounds of its size and location, although the area's local authorities did not oppose the development. |
| The organisation Rural Scotland also raised concerns about "large-scale industrial schemes" which would alter the nature of the countryside. | The organisation Rural Scotland also raised concerns about "large-scale industrial schemes" which would alter the nature of the countryside. |
| ScottishPower Renewables said it was key to the project that it was close to large areas of population, such as Glasgow, had good transport and energy transmission links but was also an open area of countryside with a good supply of wind. | ScottishPower Renewables said it was key to the project that it was close to large areas of population, such as Glasgow, had good transport and energy transmission links but was also an open area of countryside with a good supply of wind. |
| At capacity the 55 square kilometre wind farm will be able to produce 322 megawatts of electricity and ScottishPower Renewables hope to expand it by a further 270 megawatts. | At capacity the 55 square kilometre wind farm will be able to produce 322 megawatts of electricity and ScottishPower Renewables hope to expand it by a further 270 megawatts. |
| Public access | Public access |
| A planning application was submitted for 36 more turbines last year, which is being considered by the Scottish Government, and the company will lodge one for another 45 at the site later in the summer. | A planning application was submitted for 36 more turbines last year, which is being considered by the Scottish Government, and the company will lodge one for another 45 at the site later in the summer. |
| David MacKay, professor of natural philosophy at the University of Cambridge's department of physics, said Whitelee was a step towards targets to cut carbon emissions, but was only a start. | David MacKay, professor of natural philosophy at the University of Cambridge's department of physics, said Whitelee was a step towards targets to cut carbon emissions, but was only a start. |
| He said: "To achieve the government target of a complete decarbonisation of our electricity supply system by 2030 we need to be talking about a 100-fold increase in wind farms in Britain and perhaps as much as a five-fold increase in nuclear power. | He said: "To achieve the government target of a complete decarbonisation of our electricity supply system by 2030 we need to be talking about a 100-fold increase in wind farms in Britain and perhaps as much as a five-fold increase in nuclear power. |
| "That's the scale of the building challenge we have if we're serious about getting off fossil fuels." | "That's the scale of the building challenge we have if we're serious about getting off fossil fuels." |
| A £2m visitor centre is also planned at Whitelee and the wind farm is due to be fully opened to the public, walkers, cyclists and ramblers in the summer. | A £2m visitor centre is also planned at Whitelee and the wind farm is due to be fully opened to the public, walkers, cyclists and ramblers in the summer. |
| Efforts have also taken place to promote blanket bog and moorland regeneration, with the removal of more than two million non-native conifers and work to promote black and red grouse and upland wildlife. | Efforts have also taken place to promote blanket bog and moorland regeneration, with the removal of more than two million non-native conifers and work to promote black and red grouse and upland wildlife. |