ScottishPower Renewables has completed construction of a new onshore wind farm in the Scottish Highlands, built to support the energy needs of Tesco.
The onshore wind farm was the first completed by the company in five years.
The 30 megawatt (MW), 15 turbine Halsary wind farm in Caithness is now generating enough clean energy for the equivalent of almost 20,000 homes and will be used to help power Tesco’s stores and operations across the country.
It was developed as part of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), making it the first ScottishPower wind farm to be built without a government support scheme.
PPAs allow developers to invest in and build new green infrastructure projects with a clear route to market, while corporate customers get a source of clean energy and transparency in relation to energy costs.
Lindsay McQuade, chief executive at ScottishPower Renewables, said: “The UK needs to quadruple the amount of clean renewable energy available over the next 30 years if we’re to have any chance of meeting net zero targets and tackling the climate emergency, which is a massive challenge.
“Onshore wind is the cheapest form of generating electricity in the UK, so it’s the ideal way for businesses to purchase clean energy and go green – at scale and at pace – and it’s great to see there’s a growing market for these types of partnerships.”
Jason Tarry, Tesco UK and Ireland chief executive, said: “Real change requires that businesses now start moving from making commitments to driving transformative action – now is the time to accelerate our efforts to tackle the biggest challenge of our lifetime.”
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