ScottishPower begins expansion and repowering of its British wind farms Arecleoch and Kilgallioch

Iberdrola is continuing to move forward in improving and modernising its renewable facilities around the world. Through its UK subsidiary ScottishPower, the company has begun expansion works at its Arecleoch and Kilgallioch wind farms, located in the Scottish council areas of South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. 

This will enable the electricity company to increase both facilities’ production capacity and improve their efficiency, advancing the unstoppable process of the economy’s electrification.

After obtaining all the relevant administrative and environmental permits, Arecleoch and Kilgallioch will have 13 and 9 additional wind turbines respectively, enabling them to achieve a combined installed capacity of around 485 megawatts (MW). Once the process is complete, both wind farms will be capable of generating enough clean electricity to meet the energy needs of around 300,000 British households.

The benefits of Iberdrola's renewed commitment to these two facilities will also extend to the communities in which they are located, both in terms of socio-economic and environmental value creation. To date, Arecleoch and Kilgallioch, operational since 2011 and 2017, have generated a combined tax contribution of almost £16M (or more than €18.5M at the current exchange rate) and are expected to contribute more than £31.4M (over €36.3M) to local coffers by the end of their useful life. 

On the environmental front, Arecleoch’s expansion includes the restoration of 34 hectares of peat bogs on reforested land. As for Kilgallioch, 25 hectares of peat bogs have been rehabilitated. The land surrounding this farm, located in the Kirkcowan Flow Special Area of Conservation, will undergo significant restoration to improve habitat resilience and restore natural water flows.
 

Iberdrola, a leading energy player in the United Kingdom

Through ScottishPower, Iberdrola is one of the largest energy companies in the UK. Its activities focus on electricity networks, renewable energy, and energy retail.

Regarding the first area, Iberdrola’s UK subsidiary currently operates, under its brands SP Energy Networks and SP Electricity North West (following the acquisition of ENW), as the second-largest distribution network operator in the UK. It supplies electricity to around 12 million people through more than 170,000 kilometres of power lines.

SP Energy Networks distributes and connects electricity in Merseyside, Cheshire and North Shropshire (England), North Wales, as well as central and southern Scotland. SP Electricity North West distributes electricity in north-west England, including Manchester and the Lake District, and also owns and operates the high-voltage transmission network in central and southern Scotland. Iberdrola plans to invest up to €13.902 billion (approximately £12 billion) by 2031 under RIIO-T3 in a major programme to renew UK infrastructure and boost electrification.

In terms of renewables, ScottishPower has almost 3,100 MW of installed capacity, comprised of 40 onshore wind farms and two offshore projects. It is also building the East Anglia Three offshore wind farm, the second largest in the world, as well as East Anglia Two and East Anglia One North. Together with the already operational East Anglia One, they will form the East Anglia Hub, an ambitious project that will generate up to 3.9 GW of capacity on the UK’s east coast.

Finally, in the retail sector, ScottishPower, with 4.2 million customers, is one of the largest energy suppliers in the UK. It sells electricity and gas, while also helping customers install smart solutions such as electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps, and domestic solar systems in homes across the country.

You can read the full news story in the ScottishPower Renewables Press Room.