The 50MW Longhill Burn Wind Farm in Scotland has been completed, with retailer Sainsbury’s committing to buy 100% of the electricity produced by the site developed by Energiekontor and owned by Capital Dynamics.
Construction of the newly-opened site in West Lothian began in 2021. It features a total of eight Siemens Gamesa turbines. Each unit provides a maximum output of between 6MW-6.4MW, making them the largest and most powerful onshore wind turbines available in the UK said Sainsbury’s.
When all the machines are operating at maximum capacity, together they will provide enough electricity to supply up to 33% of the retailer’s total electricity needs.
Over the course of a full year, they are expected to produce around 150,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity, enough to power around 55,000 average UK homes.
Longhill Burn is the seventh wind farm from which Sainsbury’s now buys 100% of the energy generated and an eighth site is expected to go live next year.
“We’re very proud to be investing in this state-of-the-art, sustainable source of new wind power, featuring the largest, most cutting-edge onshore turbines available in the UK,” said Sainsbury’s director of property, procurement and EV ventures Patrick Dunne.
“Now it’s completed, Longhill Burn Wind Farm can begin to realise its full potential, helping us take another massive step towards reducing our reliance on carbon.
“Sainsbury’s was the first UK retailer to start directly purchasing wind power for use in its estate back in 2008.
Our commitment to the future of Longhill Burn Wind Farm, which both enabled its construction and guaranteed its long-term viability, builds on our proven track record of investing in sustainable technologies.”
The project was developed in partnership with Energiekontor AG, which managed the construction of the wind farm and will oversee its day-to-day performance and maintenance. Longhill Burn will benefit from Capital Dynamics’ and Energiekontor’s longstanding operations management experience.