Whitelee Wind Farm: Difference between revisions
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==Public access and visitor centre== |
==Public access and visitor centre== |
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{{See also|Wind turbines on public display}} |
{{See also|Wind turbines on public display}} |
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Whitelee has become an eco-tourist attraction aided by an on site visitor centre |
Whitelee has become an eco-tourist attraction aided by an on site visitor centre. The visitor centre is host to an interactive exhibition room, cafe, shop and education hub. It was officially opened to the public in September 2009.<ref name=CentreOpening>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8263541.stm BBC News "Wind farm education centre opens"] Retrieved 2009-09-21</ref> The visitor centre also give access to a network of over 90 km of paths for cyclists, ramblers and horse riders.<ref name=VisitorCentre>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8220793.stm BBC News "Visitor centre showcases windfarm"] Retrieved 2009-08-26</ref> The visitor centre is managed by [[Glasgow Science Centre]] and offers activities for education and community groups.<ref name=CentreOpening/> |
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There is also a dedicated - free - electric vehicle [[charging station]]. |
There is also a dedicated - free - electric vehicle [[charging station]]. |
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In June 2012, Whitelee wind farm became the first wind energy project in Scotland to join the [[Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions]]. The management took the decision after nearly 250,000 people visited Europe's largest onshore wind farm since 2009. [[ScottishPower]] Renewables said nearly 10,000 pupils had visited so far as part of school trips. In addition, at least "another 100,000 people had accessed the wind farm's 90km (56 miles) of trails for recreational purposes such as jogging and cycling".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-18525763 |title= Whitelee Wind Farm joins major tourist attractions body |author= |date=20 June 2012 |work=BBC News }}</ref> |
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==Extension== |
==Extension== |
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Revision as of 15:03, 7 July 2012
| Whitelee Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
 Whitelee wind farm with the Isle of Arran in the background | |
 | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°40′22″N 4°17′08″W / 55.6728°N 4.2856°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | May 2009 |
| Owner(s) | Scottish Power |
| Wind farm | |
| Type | |
| Rotor diameter |
|
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 6 × 1.67 MW 140 × 2.3 MW 69 × 3 MW |
| Make and model | GE Renewable Energy ECO 100 (69) GE Renewable Energy ECO 74 (6) Siemens Gamesa SWT-2.3-82 VS (40) Siemens Gamesa SWT-2.3-93 (100) |
| Nameplate capacity |
|
| External links | |
| Website | www |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
Whitelee Wind Farm is the second largest wind farm in Europe (after Fântânele-Cogealac, in Romania) with 140 Siemens wind turbines and a total capacity of 322 megawatts (MW).[1] Whitelee was developed and is operated by ScottishPower Renewables,[2] which is part of the Spanish company Iberdrola.[3] Whitelee Wind Farm has a 75 turbine extension under construction, which will add an additional 217 MW of capacity. Work on this extension is set for completion in 2012.[4]
The Scottish government had a target of generating 31% of Scotland's electricity from renewable energy by 2011 and 100% by 2020. The majority of this is likely to come from wind power.[5]
Description
Positioned 300 metres (985 feet) above sea level and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) outside Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, the wind farm has over half a million people living within a 30 km radius. This makes Whitelee one of the first large-scale wind farms to be developed close to a centre of population. [5] In May 2009, Whitelee was officially opened to the public by Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister for Scotland. [6] However, Whitelee was generating power long before this with the first phase of the wind farm supplying power to the electricity grid in January 2008.
In May 2009, the Scottish Government granted permission for an extension to the wind farm that will produce up to a further 130 megawatts of power,[7] which would increase the total generating capacity of Whitelee to 452 MW.[8] There is also the potential to increase the generating capacity once again by 140 megawatts. This would give Whitelee the potential to generate almost 600 megawatts of renewable energy.[8]
On 19 March 2010 a blade snapped off a turbine, resulting in temporary suspension of operations until safety checks were completed. Following the accident Keith Anderson, managing director of ScottishPower Renewables, said: "This type of incident is exceptionally rare and highly unusual."[9]
Public access and visitor centre
Whitelee has become an eco-tourist attraction aided by an on site visitor centre. The visitor centre is host to an interactive exhibition room, cafe, shop and education hub. It was officially opened to the public in September 2009.[10] The visitor centre also give access to a network of over 90 km of paths for cyclists, ramblers and horse riders.[11] The visitor centre is managed by Glasgow Science Centre and offers activities for education and community groups.[10] There is also a dedicated - free - electric vehicle charging station.
In June 2012, Whitelee wind farm became the first wind energy project in Scotland to join the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions. The management took the decision after nearly 250,000 people visited Europe's largest onshore wind farm since 2009. ScottishPower Renewables said nearly 10,000 pupils had visited so far as part of school trips. In addition, at least "another 100,000 people had accessed the wind farm's 90km (56 miles) of trails for recreational purposes such as jogging and cycling".[12]
Extension
Whitelee Windfarm has a 75 turbine extension under construction. This will add an additional 217 MW of capacity, enough to power the equivalent of over 124,000 homes. Work on this new development commenced in November 2010, with completion set for 2012.[13]
Mascot
In 2010 "Wally the Wind Turbine" was unveiled as a character to welcome visitors to the wind farm. He is not yet featured in any promotional materials, though there are costumed characters at the site.
See also
References
- ^ http://www.whiteleewindfarm.co.uk/about_windfarm?nav Whitelee Windfarm
- ^ http://www.scottishpowerrenewables.com/
- ^ http://www.iberdrola.es/
- ^ "Whitelee Wind Farm Update".
- ^ a b Europe's Largest Onshore Wind Farm Is Switched on in Scotland
- ^ Whitelee Windfarm Officially Opened http://www.scottishpowerrenewables.com/pages/press_releases.asp?article=47&date_year=2009
- ^ Largest wind farm to be expanded. BBC News 20 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-25
- ^ a b Iberdrola press release dated 20 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-25
- ^ Blade snaps off huge wind turbine. BBC News 23 March 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-23
- ^ a b BBC News "Wind farm education centre opens" Retrieved 2009-09-21
- ^ BBC News "Visitor centre showcases windfarm" Retrieved 2009-08-26
- ^ "Whitelee Wind Farm joins major tourist attractions body". BBC News. 20 June 2012.
- ^ "Whitelee Wind Farm Update".
Gallery
External links
