The Clyde onshore wind farm in South Lanarkshire – already one of the biggest such projects in Europe – is set to get even bigger.
Perth-based developer and utility giant SSE has ordered 54 new SWT 32/101 wind turbines from German manufacturer Siemens.
These direct-drive turbines will add another 172.8 megawatts (MW) to the Clyde parc’s existing 350MW capacity.
The Clyde wind farm already has 152 operational turbines, making it the third-largest wind farm in Europe and SSE’s largest project to date. All of the existing turbines are Siemens 2.3-MW units, commissioned in 2011 and 2012.
Thomas Richterich, Chief Executive Onshore at Siemens’ Wind Power and Renewables Division, said: “Our direct drive units improve performance, reliability and maintainability. We see this innovation in our products as a stable basis for further collaboration with customers like SSE.”
The two-year construction programme started in July 2015 and will support an estimated 500 local jobs through direct employment and the supply chain. The 54 turbines are scheduled for delivery and installation starting in June 2016. The Clyde Extension will be completed in June 2017.
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