Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (pictured: right) has marked the connection of the UK’s “tallest and most efficient” onshore wind turbines to the national grid.
The 200-metre structures are part of Banks Renewables’ Kype Muir Extension Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire that will consist of 15 new ultra-efficient turbines.
Lying just south of Strathaven, Kype Muir Extension’s turbines will have an installed generation capacity of up to 67.2MW of renewable electricity.
Sturgeon said: “Onshore wind is the biggest source of renewable energy in Scotland, making it a vital part of our mission to become a net zero economy by 2045.
“In addition to being a cheap and reliable source of electricity that harnesses one of our most abundant resources, onshore wind can also help us meet that target in a way that benefits communities – through the creation of high quality jobs, and investment in local businesses and supply chains – as part of a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
“The damaging impacts of the climate emergency recently highlighted at COP27 and the spike in energy prices since the war in Ukraine demonstrate the importance of accelerating that transition.
“Kype Muir extension is a significant example of that in action, and the Scottish Government will shortly outline how we plan to boost the country’s onshore capacity by up to 12GW by 2030, which could produce enough electricity to power 10 million homes for a year, or every home in Scotland for more than four years.”
The adjacent Kype Muir wind farm and the new extension will have a combined capacity 155.4MW which will generate enough electricity for around 124,000 households each year.
Andrew Liddell, development director at Banks Renewables, said: “Kype Muir Extension and its impressive turbines are an excellent example of a project that can make a real and positive impact towards the Scottish Government’s ambitious net-zero targets.
“Not only does the wind farm have the tallest and most efficient turbines on UK land, but it will also play a key role in providing the surrounding community with major benefits – something that is high on our agenda.
“Over its 30-year lifetime, there is no doubt that Kype Muir Extension will prove valuable in many different ways for South Lanarkshire and Scotland as a whole.”