Scottish Power chief calls for another 2,000-MW of onshore wind-turbines to re-charge national fleet of battery-powered vehicles

Following a £650 million investment programme to build eight new onshore windfarms, Scottish Power has now passed the 2,000 megawatt (MW) milestone for UK wind power capacity.

Just over half (50.5%) of this investment in onshore wind has been spent in Scotland and the company now has 40 windfarm projects across the UK, stretching from Cornwall to Caithness. 

Its Whitelee Windfarm near Glasgow is the largest onshore project in the UK

Now the Spanish-owned company has called for politicians and regulators to support the future development of onshore wind in Scotland – one of cheapest forms of green energy – citing the need to hit carbon reduction targets and support the anticipated increase in demand to re-charge battery-powered vehicles (BPVs)

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive, Scottish Power, said: “It’s now cheaper, easier and faster to build onshore wind. In a little over 18 months we have built over 470 MW of onshore wind, delivering enough power for more than 280,000 homes and with it significant environmental and financial benefits for the UK.

“If the UK Government is serious about reducing carbon emissions and having enough clean power to support the huge expected growth in BPVs, then more onshore wind is essential.

“One new onshore wind turbine could power around 7,000 electric vehicles, but we need to act now to meet growing demand.

“We have seen competitive auctions deliver huge price reductions in offshore wind, and we expect onshore prices to tumble as well. Including onshore wind in a similar system would drive fierce competition in the industry and ultimately bring down costs for consumers.”

“At this level only the most competitive projects would be viable and Scotland in particular still has a significant untapped stream of projects, in the right locations, ready to be delivered.

“If the industry was given a level playing field with other technologies a further 2,000-MW could be built in Scotland by 2020. These projects will complement offshore and ensure that the UK has enough green electricity to power a clean energy future.”

25 Sept 2017