Wind Energy

E.ON to find wind power sites in Scotland

E.ON has been awarded the exclusive right to investigate the possibility of establishing new wind energy projects on two lots of land owned by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS). E.ON has been awarded the exclusive right to investigate the possibility of establishing new wind energy projects on two lots of land owned by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS). E.ON believes the lots, which are located in north and west Scotland, have the potential to generate around 500MW—enough renewable electricity to power over 270,000 homes annually.

Michael Lewis, Managing Director for E.ON’s European renewable business, says, “This is great news for us, for Scotland and for the fight against climate change. Wind power is such an important part of the future energy mix here in the UK and as schemes get larger and larger, so too does the contribution they make towards renewable energy targets, which is why they are so vital. We’re looking forward to working closely with the Commission and local communities to develop these sites – but it’s important to remember that is still early days and the next step will be to fully assess the potential of these two lots.”

E.ON will conduct assessments of the land to determine its potential after which it can submit proposals to the Commission and consider the submission of planning applications. FCS will be an active partner in any proposed developments.

Michael Ansell, head of the Commission’s Forest Renewables team, notes, “We are pleased to have appointed a developer with a good track record and look forward to working with E.ON – and local communities – in making a significant contribution towards meeting the Scottish Government’s renewable energy targets.”

E.ON currently operates 18 onshore wind farms across the UK, totaling 175 MW of renewable electricity. It also has over 1500MW within the planning and development phases. The company also has three offshore wind farms, with a total capacity of over 240MW, and is a partner in the London Array, which will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm once complete.

E.ON is one of the UK’s leading power and gas companies. The utility recently launched its first wave power generator, capable of generating 750kW of renewable energy.

www.eon-uk.com/