Scottish Power will invest £1.5 billion to modernise the Whitelee Windfarm in Scotland, Britain’s largest onshore wind farm, as part of efforts to expand renewable energy capacity and strengthen energy security.
The project will replace 215 ageing turbines with 124 larger and more efficient units, nearly doubling the wind farm’s capacity to about 1 gigawatt, enough to supply electricity to around 650,000 homes. The phased repowering is expected to begin around 2030 and be completed by 2035, allowing the existing site to continue generating power during construction.
The investment supports Britain’s plans to accelerate clean energy deployment, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and meet climate targets, while addressing the replacement needs of turbines approaching the end of their 20-25 year operational lifespan.
Scottish Power Chief Executive Keith Anderson said the phased approach would maximise electricity generation throughout the upgrade. He also welcomed the UK government’s decision to remove VAT from domestic electricity bills but urged further action to tackle rising household energy debt, proposing that existing debt be placed into a long-term repayment fund.
The announcement came as parent company Iberdrola reported a 22% increase in first-half net profit to €4.34 billion, while industry group Energy UK warned that household energy debt could reach £7 billion by the end of the year.