ScottishPower Renewables has officially opened the newly repowered Coal Clough windfarm near Burnley. Over the past 18 months, the company has invested £22.5 million to replace 24 wind turbines installed in 1992, with eight modern turbines, increasing the total generating capacity of the windfarm from 9.6 MW to 16 MW.
The official opening was overseen by ScottishPower Renewables’ operations managing director, Kenny Peberdy, with guests including local councillors and officials, as well as management teams from the company’s main contractors Farrans Construction (infrastructure), Gamesa (turbines) and Electricity North West (grid).
Data from the original site shows that it generated over 400,000 MWh of electricity during its 21 year operational life.
“Coal Clough was at the forefront of the green energy revolution in the UK when it first came on line in the early '90's, and our recent investment ensures that this area will continue to play a role in providing clean electricity for the national grid for decades to come," Peberdy said. “The importance of windfarms like this should not be underestimated, and I am delighted that Coal Clough1 will remain a key part of our company’s operations for many years to come.”
According to ScottishPower Renewables, Coal Clough has produced enough power to meet the electricity demands of just under 5,000 homes every year since 1992, and the new project should meet the needs of over 8,500 homes per year, the company stated.
"Onshore wind is the most cost-effective and viable renewable energy source in the UK, and it is vital that we continue to invest in good projects," Peberdy added.
As well as supporting around 75 jobs in construction, the wind farm will now be managed by a full-time site supervisor, plus two technicians. Beyond that, the site will support a range of other services over the 25 year lifetime, including:
- Electrical engineering contractors
- Civil contractors to support site and road maintenance
- Specialist turbine technical resources
- ScottishPower Renewables project management team resources
- Environmental/Ecological monitoring resources
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1. Coal Clough was one of the first commercial wind farms to be built anywhere in the UK when it became operational in 1992, and is now one of only a handful of sites across the country that has been repowered.