ScottishPower Renewables’ Whitelee wind farm is the UK's largest onshore windfarm. Located near Eaglesham just outside Glasgow, its 215 turbines are capable of generating up to 539 megawatts of cleaner greener power.

With a Visit Scotland four-star rating, the Whitelee wind farm's onsite visitor centre has welcomed over 300,000 people through the doors since first opening in 2009. Many are keen to find out more about renewable energy and experience the awe of our turbines first-hand. There's also more than 130 kilometres of tracks to explore by foot, cycle or horse so it is a great destination for a family day out.  

Vision

Whitelee has proved to be an excellent location for a windfarm development. The original windfarm continues to perform extremely well and we have now completed a major Whitelee wind farm extension. This has only been possible with the help and support of the local communities around Whitelee. 

We are proud that Whitelee wind farm is making such a significant contribution to the renewable energy targets of Scotland and the UK.

Size & scale

The initial 140 turbines were fully completed in May 2009, and Whitelee windfarm is now bigger as work on the 75 turbine extension is complete. As of March 2013, Whitelee’s generating capacity will be boosted to 539 megawatts, enough to provide power to the equivalent of over 300,000 homes!*

The site is not just about producing power. Over 500,000 people have visited the windfarm site so far, with many using the existing 90 km of tracks for outdoor pursuits such as cycling, horse riding or walking. The state of the art visitor and education centre provides the opportunity for school children from all across Scotland to learn about energy.

*based on an industry average capacity factor of 30% and an annual household consumption of 4,370kwh.

Whitelee Phase 3

In August 2012, ScottishPower Renewables submitted an application to construct and operate a small extension to Whitelee wind farm. If consented, the proposals will see a further five turbines added to the existing site, enhancing the generating capacity by up to 12 megawatts.

We are currently awaiting determination by the Scottish Government.

Benefits

Whitelee is a fantastic demonstration of the economic benefits that renewable energy projects can deliver. ScottishPower Renewables has invested over £500 million in the wind farm over the past five years, with the construction activities supporting an average of 290 full time equivalent positions over that period, many of which were filled by local people. A further 60 highly skilled jobs will be supported by the operation of the windfarm for the next 25 years.

Also as a result of the wind farm, ScottishPower Renewables has contributed almost £2 million of community funding to the local area and if this latest extension is built, annual payments totalling approx £1 million will be made to the community to fund local projects for the next 25 years.