Plans for the 300MW Bodinglee onshore wind farm in Scotland have been unveiled by Banks Renewables in a scoping report submitted to South Lanarkshire Council.
Banks said the wind farm, which could see £300m investment, would be the UK’s third largest by electricity generated and feature 60 of the latest, most efficient turbines available.
The proposed development would be located at Bodinglee, either side of the M74 between Douglas and Abington on farmland owned by the Douglas and Angus Estates.
It could meet the electricity needs of a city the size of Dundee, Banks added.
It has the potential to deliver £80m worth of contracts to local firms, directly support around 500 jobs and displace over 150,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, the developer said.
It is looking to reproduce its Connect2Renewables South Lanarkshire initiative which is currently creating employment opportunities for those living close to its Kype and Middle Muir wind farms.
Banks said it intends to host initial consultations in the first half of 2021.
Banks Renewables projects head Gordon Thomson (pictured) said: “This is a big project and will make a significant contribution to Scotland reaching #netzero by 2045.
“We strongly believe that the local communities that host our projects should benefit the most from them.
“We want the local community involved right from the beginning and so have launched an online consultation so that we can hear their views from now on.”
“The size of this project means that there could be investment through a community fund of up to £45m over the life of the project, and we want to work with local people to ensure we deliver a long-lasting positive legacy for those living in the area.”
Over the next few years Banks will be commissioning surveys of the local area as they look to design the layout of the wind farm, it added.