Europes largest wind farm starts turning

Europe’s largest onshore wind farm is being opened today in Scotland.The £300million Whitelee development in East Renfrewshire already contains 140 huge turbines, each around 110m high, across an area about the size of Glasgow city centre. Developer Scottish Power Renewables estimates that the farm will generate enough energy to power 180,000 homes.

Plans have already been lodged to expand the wind farm, and Scottish Power Renewables say they aim to build an offshore wind farm off the West Coast of Scotland which would be five or six times the size of the 55km square Eaglesham Moor site.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who opened the plant, said "Whitelee in its current form is already flying the flag for onshore wind power in Europe...The planned extension, which I am delighted to announce today, will enable the wind farm to harness its comparative and competitive advantage in wind generated energy within Europe...It has the infrastructure, the expertise and the capacity to continue to develop in the future."