Scotland’s First Minister was in Lanarkshire this week to commend an energy-saving site at a local wind farm.
Nicola Sturgeon described the Kype Muir Extension Wind Farm as a "significant example" of efforts to help the country achieve a net zero economy by 2045.
She then unveiled a plaque and had the opportunity to discuss the future of renewable energy with members of the Banks Renewables team.
The site, located just outside Strathaven, is home to some of the UK's tallest and most efficient onshore wind turbines on the national grid, consisting of 200-metre structures.
It's said the generation capacity will provide up to 67.2MW of renewable electricity - enough to provide over 53,000 households with green electricity every year, and the equivalent of taking 23,550 petrol cars off the road annually.
The First Minister marked the turbine connection at a key time for renewable energy in Scotland.
Just a year on from Glasgow playing host to COP26, clean, green energy is high on the Scottish Government’s agenda, with onshore wind power a key player in the country’s drive towards its net zero ambitions.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Onshore wind is the biggest source of renewable energy in Scotland, making it a vital part of our mission to become a net zero economy by 2045.
“In addition to being a cheap and reliable source of electricity that harnesses one of our most abundant resources, onshore wind can also help us meet that target in a way that benefits communities – through the creation of high quality jobs, and investment in local businesses and supply chains – as part of a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
“The damaging impacts of the climate emergency recently highlighted at COP27 and the spike in energy prices since the war in Ukraine demonstrate the importance of accelerating that transition.
"Kype Muir extension is a significant example of that in action, and the Scottish Government will shortly outline how we plan to boost the country’s onshore capacity by up to 12 gigawatts by 2030, which could produce enough electricity to power 10 million homes for a year, or every home in Scotland for more than four years.”
The South Lanarkshire wind farm is an extension of Banks Renewables’ 26-turbine Kype Muir Wind Farm site. The extension will feature four 156m, three 176m and eight 200m-tall wind turbines.
Andrew Liddell, development director at Banks Renewables said: “To welcome the First Minister to the site and have her mark such a major milestone for Scotland’s renewable energy sector is an incredible privilege and proud moment for everyone involved in the project.
“Kype Muir Extension and its impressive turbines are an excellent example of a project that can make a real and positive impact towards the Scottish Government’s ambitious net-zero targets."
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