ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) launched a report assessing the economic impact of their eight onshore wind farms on the UK, Scottish and local economies. The full report can be downloaded here: Economic benefits from onshore wind farms.
SPR recognises the importance of the economic benefits to Scotland and the rest of the UK from investing in onshore wind generation. SPR commissioned BVG Associates (BVGA) to assess the UK, Scotland and local (south west Scotland) economic benefits created by eight onshore wind farms in south west Scotland commissioned between 2016 and 2017. The wind farms have a combined capacity of 474MW.
Using the methodology BVGA has developed for the Offshore Wind Programme Board to calculate the content in UK offshore wind projects, the analysis found that:
- Total investment and impacts of ScottishPower Renewables’ eight onshore wind farms: £1.6 billion
- Content in total expenditure:
- 66% UK content
- 51% Scottish content, including 16% local (south west Scotland) content
- Economic impact over the lifetime of the projects:
- £1,276 million gross value-added in the UK
- £297 million local value-added
- 31,118 UK FTE years, including 7,768 local FTE years
- £814 million UK earnings, including £194 million local earnings
- £59 million community benefit funding
The report shows the contribution onshore wind can make in the Government’s future industrial and energy strategies and can be downloaded by clicking on this link: Economic benefits from onshore wind farms.
