Brian Wilson, Minister for Industry and Energy, today (Monday) officially opens ScottishPower's Beinn an Tuirc windfarm in Argyll.

The windfarm, near Carradale, is ScottishPower's eleventh in the UK and Eire and brings its total ownership of renewable energy generation to around 150 megawatts (MW).

Beinn an Tuirc was built at a cost of £21 million and has been operating successfully over the past few months delivering an output of 30 MW, enough to supply electricity to around 25,000 homes. The windfarm will displace more than 92,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2, each year by offsetting coal-fired generation.

It is the next step in ScottishPower's planned £500 million investment to add at least a further 785 MW of wind generation by 2010, creating a generation portfolio which comprises 20% renewable sources. Sites earmarked for development include Eaglesham Moor, near Glasgow and Forth, in South Lanarkshire, rated together at 360 MW. Both could be operational by 2003 at the earliest. ScottishPower's 30 MW development at Cruach Mhor, also in Argyll is currently tendering for construction contracts and could begin generation in 2003.

Charles Berry, Executive Director UK, said: "We are delighted the minister is going to be opening our newest windfarm. ScottishPower has been at the forefront of renewable energy development and the need to reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases is driving a major programme of investment in new renewable energy projects. Beinn an Tuirc windfarm is an important element of this programme, and an excellent example of utilising Scotland's abundant wind resource for environmental benefit. Much more needs to be done, but with further projects totalling over 450MW already in the planning process more than twice as much as any other UK utility, ScottishPower will continue to be at the forefront of wind development."

The 46 turbines at Beinn an Tuirc occupy one of the windiest sites ScottishPower has surveyed. The 40-meter high turbines, with blades 47 meters in diameter are built on one of the most productive sites in the UK.

The windfarm will also have an impact on the local environment with a detailed habitat management plan being brought into action.

During the construction of the Beinn an Tuirc windfarm two years ago ScottishPower created a paradise for the red grouse by clearing 450 hectares of conifer plantation and regenerating traditional heather moorland beloved of the species.

The cruel logic was to locate a new hunting ground for one of the pairs of Golden Eagles in Argyll to draw them away from the turbines.

The bargain has certainly worked as the eagles remain healthy the hope is the improved food supply will encourage them to breed after a number of fallow years and the red grouse too has moved back in numbers.

Saya Harvey ScottishPower's Ecologist in Central Argyll has seen surprising results in the moorland she manages.

'Tree chipping finished in May 2001 and since then the vegetation regeneration has been spectacular. Heather, blaeberry and cotton grass is re-establishing well and these plant species are all important food supplies for red and black grouse.

'Red grouse are already using the tree cleared area, long before scientists anticipated that they would, and the productivity of the birds has been higher than on surrounding areas of existing heather. Young and sweeter heather and new vegetation are obviously keeping the birds happy'.

Information Simon McMillan 0141 566 4875 or 07753 622 257