Scottish firms win £200m in contracts to build Clyde Wind Farm
Friday 12 June 2009
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| The Clyde Wind Farm project will see 152 turbines supplied by German manufacturer Siemens |
Scottish companies have secured £200 million worth of contracts to help Europe's largest consented onshore wind farm, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond announced today.
Mr Salmond was visiting the site of the Clyde Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire today, to observe preparatory works getting underway.
Scottish and Southern Energy is to build 152 turbines at the site near Abington, between Biggar and Moffat.
The £500 million facility, which won planning permission last July, is expected to offer 456MW of new renewable electricity generating capacity - providing enough power for more than 200,000 homes.
On completion, it is expected to overtake the Whitelee wind farm as the largest onshore wind farm in Europe, although ScottishPower is hoping to expand that facility to 614MW.
On his visit, Mr Salmond spoke in particular of his delight that a £10 million contract for towers will go to the ex-Vestas factory near Campbeltown, now owned by Danish engineering firm Skykon.
The order is being placed by Siemens, the preferred turbine supplier for the Clyde Wind Farm.
Mr Salmond said: "The Clyde wind farm is a £500 million development that will direct more than £200 million of investment to businesses in Scotland. I am delighted that towers for this groundbreaking 152-turbine development will be manufacturer right here in Scotland."
The First Minister said that along with the Whitelee wind farm, the Clyde project would help to make Scotland a "global powerhouse of clean energy".
Investment
Commenting on the visit, Scottish and Southern Energy chief operating officer Colin Hood said Clyde was a "nationally-important" wind farm.
"We have major investment plans for renewable energy, and we hope that as many businesses as possible in Scotland will benefit from them," said Mr Hood.
The towers deal was hailed as helping to secure 100 jobs at Skykon's Welcon Towers factory at Machrihanish, which almost closed before being taken over by the Danish manufacturer earlier this year (see this New Energy Focus story).
Jesper Øhlenschlæger, chief executive of Skykon A/S, said: "Welcon Towers Ltd, a Skycon company, is really delighted to be the tower supplier for the Clyde project from its factory in Campbeltown and looks forward to seeing yet another step forward for renewable energy and sustainable economic development."
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