ScottishPower to Repower 539 MW Onshore Wind Farm in Scotland

ScottishPower announced plans to repower Whitelee wind farm in Scotland. The repowering could mean generating enough energy to power the equivalent of 650,000 homes, 300,000 more than currently, helping keep bills down long-term.

The repowering proposals will see fewer but more modern, larger powered turbines across the site, with a reduction to 124 turbines around 250 m in height, taking capacity from 539 MW to 1 GW. 

The repowering work will be carried out in three phases to ensure that access is maintained for the public throughout and there will be improvements to its visitor centre, which has welcomed over 1 million visitors through its doors since opening.

Whitelee was originally commissioned in 2008 and consisted of 140 turbines when it opened to the public in 2009. Since then, the windfarm has undergone two phases of extensions with the phase 1 extension adding 36 turbines to the development and phase 2 adding a further 39, taking the total to 215.

The scale and length of time covered by the development and construction phase will give the supply chain the confidence to invest in new equipment and jobs, delivering a more resilient UK supply chain.

The site currently covers an area of approximately 83km² and straddles East Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire council areas. The plans include a new substation in the East Renfrewshire section of the site.

The plans have now been lodged with the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit and will be published online this week.

A planning application is set to be submitted in December 2027, with the repowering planned to be operational by 2035