MSP Brian Whittle was given a behind the scenes look at Scottish Power’s Renewables Operations Centre during a visit to Whitelee Windfarm. The South Scotland MSP, whose region covers part of the site was given access to the operations centre that’s responsible for overseeing over 1100 wind turbines operated by Scottish Power around the UK.
From the state of the art facility, staff are able to monitor the performance of all Scottish Power’s 40 onshore wind farms in the UK. Sensors within each turbine will even alert the centre if there’s a problem, allowing engineers to respond as quickly as possible.
During the visit, Brian met with Scottish Power Renewables CEO Lindsay McQuade and discussed the future of wind power in South Scotland. Former Olympic runner Brian also heard more about the activities that take place at the windfarm including ‘Run the Blades’ events that have given runners the chance to explore the windfarm using some of the nearly 100 miles of tracks across the site.
Whitelee, the second largest windfarm in Europe, has become a popular local tourist attraction with a visitor centre run by the Glasgow Science Museum. Brian was also shown a mountain bike track that’s the latest addition attracting cyclists looking to ride off-road.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“I’ve visited Whitelee a few times to cycle among the turbines so it was great to visit and see behind the scenes. Many people don’t realise that Whitelee is the hub for all Scottish Power’s windfarms across the UK.
Large windfarms like this are making an increasing contribution to our energy needs and, as technology continues to develop, Scotland is in a great position to be a world leader in wind energy innovation and generation.
There are very few working power stations anywhere in the UK where the public can come in, walk or cycle among the generators then go and have a coffee and cake at the visitor centre. Many people are fascinated by wind turbines and having the chance to get up close and learn more about them has turned Whitelee into a tourist destination and a unique location for sports events like Run the Blades, which can be a real economic boost for the area. I’m looking forward to working with Scottish Power to find other opportunities to make the most of Whitelee.”
A spokesperson for ScottishPower Renewables said:
“We were delighted to show Brian our operations at Whitelee and the vital role it plays in providing Scotland with clean green energy supplies. Onshore wind is now the cheapest form of new large scale electricity generation and Whitelee has allowed us to demonstrate the benefits it can bring to the hundreds of thousands of visitors we have received since opening.”
