This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scotland's most powerful wind farm opens
24/08/2004
The twenty turbines of Scotland's most powerful wind
farm are now providing clean energy for around 33,000
homes.
Deputy Enterprise Minister Lewis Macdonald today
officially opened the Crystal Rig wind farm in the
Lammermuir Hills near Dunbar in East Lothian.
He said:
"This wind farm is an excellent example of how Scotland
benefits from renewable energy -it has provided green jobs
for the local economy as well as clean electricity for
Scotland.
"We aim to further develop and encourage Scotland's
renewable energy industry - and I'm delighted that local
companies were used by the developers for the Crystal Rig
project.
"Our drive to ensure Scotland fully exploits its
renewable energy potential depends on making the most of
existing technology, like wind and hydro, and also on
taking the lead on the new technologies. We are supporting
the development of marine and biomass which will be crucial
to our ability to meet our renewable energy targets," he
said.
Crystal Rig wind farm currently has 20 turbines with a
50 MegaWatt capacity - making it Scotland's most powerful
wind farm in operation to date. A further five turbines
will be built by 2005, increasing capacity to 62.5
MegaWatts with the ability to power 41,000 homes.
The company - Natural Power Consultants Limited for Fred
Olsen Renewables - has lodged a further Section 36
application to extend the development by 165 MegaWatts (56
turbines).
The Executive aims to produce 40% of Scotland's
electricity from renewable sources by 2020.