Scotland: Siemens secures 53MW wind order

Siemens has secured the order for the Blackcraig Hill onshore wind power plant in Scotland. The 53 megawatt (MW) wind project located in the Scottish council area Dumfries and Galloway will consist of 23 wind turbines of the Siemens G2 platform. The contract also includes a 20-year service agreement. Commissioning is scheduled for the spring of 2017.

This is the second project in which the customer Blue Energy, one of the UK’s leading investors and developers of renewable energy infrastructure, has worked together with Siemens after the 21MW Middlewick project on the Dengie peninsula three kilometers east of Southminster, completed in 2014. For the Blackcraig project, Blue Energy has again selected the proven technology of the geared Siemens G2 onshore turbine as well as the expert service and maintenance offered by Siemens. The Blackcraig Hill site is exposed to strong and consistent winds from the Irish Sea and the SWT-2.3-93, with a rotor diameter of 93 meters, will provide high energy yields. The project relies heavily on local content including construction work as well as service and maintenance jobs once the plant is operational. The project is expected to supply clean energy for more than 35,000 households and at the same time generate annual community benefits of nearly 7,000 Euros per MW capacity since Blue Energy allocates a share of revenues to community benefit initiatives.

Christopher Dean, CEO of Blue Energy, commented, "We are delighted to be working with Siemens again. Both the proven performance of the G2 platform and the specific characteristics of the site itself made the SWT-2.3-93 the clear choice for us."

"Wind energy makes a significant contribution not only to a clean energy supply in Scotland but also to the local economies," says Thomas Richterich, CEO Onshore of the Siemens Wind Power and Renewables Division. "In this context we are glad to collaborate again with Blue Energy to make wind energy the most beneficial energy source for society."