Wind Power

Wind power in Scotland is the country’s fastest growing renewable energy technology, with 9316 MW of installed Onshore Wind capacity and 2,166 MW of Offshore capacity as of 2023. The Robin Rigg Wind Farm a 180 MW development completed in April 2010 was Scotland’s first offshore wind farm, sited on a sandbank in the Solway Firth. The largest onshore wind farm (539 MW) is at Whitelee in East Renfrewshire. The Clyde Wind Farm is a 522 MW wind farm  near Abington, South Lanarkshire is Europe’s largest onshore wind farm when completed. Two very large offshore wind turbines (5 MW each) are located in the Moray Firth. There are many other large onshore wind farms including some, both planned and operating, which are in community ownership.

                              The Potential of Wind Power

It is estimated that 11.5 GW of onshore wind potential exists, enough to provide 45 TWh of energy. More than double this amount exists on offshore sites where mean wind speeds are greater than on land. The total offshore potential is estimated at 25 GW, which although more expensive to install, could be enough to provide almost half the total energy used in Scotland. Plans to harness up to 4.8 GW of the potential in the inner Moray Firth and Firth of Forth.