Scotland leads Europe with green energy, says Alex Salmond

(By Dave King via Daily Record)

EUROPE'S largest wind farm was officially switched on yesterday by First Minister Alex Salmond.

He said Whitelee wind farm in Renfrewshire was the envy of Europe - then announced a £300million extension for it.

That will create about 300 jobs and boost Scotland's green energy capability even further.

The wind farm was only one of a series of boosts for the renewable energy industry on what the Scottish government called Scotland's "Green Wednesday".

Whitelee has 140 turbines capable of generating enough power to run 180,000 homes.

The extension will see a further 36 of the 330ft turbines put up, making enough electricity for 250,000 homes.

Salmond said: "Whitelee is already flying the flag for onshore wind power in Europe.

"The planned extension 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."

The wind farm had employed more than 500 people and put £300million into the economy.

But Salmond claimed the benefits would go beyond that.

He said: "It is an investment in Scotland's potential and ambition to lead the clean, green energy revolution.

"Our potential for electricity generation from renewables is up to 60 gigawatts - more than 10 times our peak demand."

He added that more than 16,000 jobs may be created in the renewable energy sector over the next decade.

The government want to have 31 per cent of electricity coming from renewable sources by 2011, rising to 50 per cent by 2020.

Richard Dixon, director of environmental charity WWF Scotland, said the wind farm makes "a very welcome contribution to meeting Scotland's targets for renewable electricity and cutting climatechange emissions".

Enterprise minister Jim Mather announced that Duncan Botting, head of ITI Energy, has been appointed executive chairman of the new Scottish European Green Energy Centre. It will open in Aberdeen later this year.

Mather said: "Our ambition is to shape European energy policy.

"We have the advantage in our natural resources and our universities, research institutes and energy industries are world leaders in clean energy research."

Ministers also announced 26 projects will share £1.6million under the Scottish bio-massheat scheme.

There is £400,000 backing for 11 low-carbon homes schemes in communities from Aviemore to Dumfries.

Plans for 23 wind turbines off the coast of Aberdeen are to be scaled back amid fears they could be a danger to shipping.

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