First wind farm recycles original turbine blades and re-powers with five times more capacity

Scotland’s first ever wind farm has been successfully re-powered, thirty years after it first entered operations, and is now five-times more powerful while using fewer turbines.

ScottishPower, the UK’s first energy company to generate 100 per cent green electricity and a subsidiary of Spanish utility firm Iberdrola, announced this week that it had successfully “supercharged” the Hagshaw Hill wind farm.

Located near the village of Douglas, 50 kilometres south of Glasgow, the Hagshaw Hill wind farm began operating in 1995 and was Scotland’s first commercial wind farm. Originally consisting of 26 wind turbines with a capacity of 16 megawatts (MW), a further 20 turbines were added in 2008.

Image Credit: ScottishPower

Having reached the end of their original lifespan, the 26 original turbines have been dismantled, to be replaced by 14 new, more powerful turbines that will boast a nameplate capacity of 79 MW.

“Hagshaw Hill started Scotland’s wind revolution – and now it’s back online, supercharged and ready to lead the next chapter,” said Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables CEO.

“We’re proud of what this site represents: powering homes, powering communities and powering Scotland’s clean energy future.”

Importantly, and putting the lie to some of the misinformation that often accompanies the wind energy industry, ScottishPower partnered with Irish plastics manufacturer Plaswire to recycle every blade from the original turbines into new construction material, replacing concrete, timber, and plastics.

“We’re pleased to have been awarded this significant contract to recover the Hagshaw Hill blades and return these materials back into industry,” said Andrew Billingsley, CEO of Plaswire.

“Plaswire’s recycling process diverts waste from incineration, reducing CO2 emissions and replacing high carbon construction products.”

The “supercharged” repowering of Hagshaw Hill has been matched by a supercharging of the community benefit fund, which will now deliver nearly £400,000 annually to Coalburn, Douglas, Lesmahagow and Rigside & Douglas Water – 26-times what the fund delivered previously.

“CDLR is proud to be working with SPR and we’re delighted to be the force that will deliver local community benefits for the next 25 or so years,” said Iain Lindsey, Chair of CDLR, the group administering the community benefit fund provided by the windfarm.

“This will enable us to support even more projects that will make a real difference to people’s lives and leave a lasting legacy in our area – from improving facilities and creating local employment to helping communities thrive in the long term.

“It really is fantastic to see Scotland’s first commercial windfarm continue to deliver clean energy and new opportunities right here where it all began.”

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