One of the largest onshore wind farms in Europe is set to undergo a significant transformation, with plans to be demolished and rebuilt taller but with fewer turbines, as announced by its owner.
Located near Eaglesham, south of Glasgow, Whiteley Wind Farm has been generating renewable energy for nearly two decades and is now approaching the end of its operational lifespan.
Scottish Power Renewables reports that the current 215 turbines will be replaced with approximately 124 new turbines, each standing about 110 meters (361 feet) tall, across three phases.
This ambitious £1.5 billion ‘re-electrification’ initiative aims to boost power generation capacity from 539MW to an impressive 1GW, which will be sufficient to supply electricity to around 650,000 households.
A proposal has been submitted to the Energy Consents Department of the Scottish Government, with a comprehensive planning application anticipated by the end of next year.
The upgrade is projected to be fully operational by 2035, marking a significant stride in renewable energy for the region.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk