SCOTTISH AND SOUTHERN ENERGY PLC
PROGRESS IN ONSHORE WIND FARM DEVELOPMENT
SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy plc) has applied to Ofgem for accreditation under the Renewables Obligation to allow it to secure Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) in respect of electricity output from its two principal onshore wind farm developments, Clyde and Griffin.
Turbines with a total capacity of 51MW (megawatts) have been energised at Clyde, which means that the first of the wind farm's three sections (South, 130MW in total) remains on course to be completed by the time of SSE's six-month financial results announcement in November. The remaining two sections (220MW in total) are on course to be completed in 2012.
In addition, turbines with a total capacity of 34MW have been energised at Griffin, which means that the entire wind farm (156MW in total) remains on course to be completed in the spring of 2012.
Generation of the first electricity from Gordonbush wind farm (70MW in total) is expected to take place before the end of 2011.
SSE has also completed the construction and commissioning of the 12MW Rathcahill wind farm in County Limerick, the first of the nine smaller onshore wind farms that were under construction or pre-construction at the start of this financial year to be completed and commissioned.
All of this means that SSE's onshore wind farm capacity has increased from 775MW (excluding its share of Braes of Doune, which it has agreed to sell) to 872MW.
Slieve Kirk (27MW) in Northern Ireland is expected to be SSE's next completed onshore wind farm, in the next few months.
Colin Hood, Chief Operating Officer of SSE, said:
"Project delivery is hugely important for SSE, in the context of our plans to invest between £1.5bn and £1.7bn in each of the years to 2015. I am very encouraged by the rate of progress we are making across the whole of our onshore wind farm construction portfolio, which is helping us to build on our position as the UK's leading generator of electricity from renewable sources."