SSE Plans Clyde Windfarm Extension

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Scottish energy company SSE Renewables (Perth, Scotland) has submitted plans to extend one of Europe's largest onshore windfarm projects by a further 171 megawatts (MW).

The company is currently building the 350-MW Clyde onshore windfarm, located between Biggar and Moffat in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, but has submitted a planning application to the Scottish government for the Clyde Extension Windfarm.

The plan will add another 57 wind turbines, most likely 3-MW models from current turbine supplier Siemens Energy AG (Erlangen, Germany). The extension windfarm will generate enough power for 136,000 homes, while overall, the Clyde windfarm project will be capable of supplying approximately 415,000 homes. The proposed project is located on the land surrounding Camps Reservoir, north-east of the consented Clyde Wind Farm.

"This application represents another important step in SSE's plans to de-carbonise it's generation portfolio," explained David Gardner, SSE's Director of Onshore Renewables. "We are looking to build on the successful Clyde Project, which is due to be completed next summer."

SSE is celebrating finishing the first phase of the 350-MW Clyde windfarm -- the 130MW Clyde South windfarm - ahead of schedule and said the facility is already supplying power to the national grid. Construction of the Clyde Central and North windfarms, which will add a combined 220MW, are expected to be completed in the middle of next year.

In October 2009, SSE signed a deal worth an estimated €350 million ($449 million) with Siemens Energy for the supply of wind turbines to the Clyde windfarm. For additional information, see October 5, 2009, article - Siemens Wins 350 Million Euro Turbine Deal at Clyde Windfarm.

The first phase of the project ran into trouble in January this year when wind turbine manufacturing company Skykon Campbeltown (Campbeltown, Scotland), part of the Danish manufacturer Skykon (Aarhus, Denmark), went into administration. The company had been contracted by Siemens to build the turbines at the former Vestas manufacturing facility. In the end, Siemens intervened to save the project by offering short term contracts to Skycon workers to finish the turbines for the Clyde project. For additional information, see January 14, 2011, article - Siemens Energy Steps in to Save Clyde Windfarm.

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