Iberdrola plans €1.8 billion Whitelee wind farm repowering

Iberdrola’s ScottishPower unit plans to upgrade Whitelee in Scotland, lifting the UK’s largest onshore wind farm from 539 MW to 1,000 MW. The project could help power more than 1.5 million people and generate €380 million for the Scottish economy over the next decade.

Why it matters: - The Whitelee upgrade would nearly double the site’s installed capacity and extend the life of one of the UK’s most important renewable assets. - The project is expected to boost clean power supply, support energy security and create economic value in Scotland. - The repowering would add to Iberdrola’s wider UK investment push, which centers on electrification, networks and renewable generation.

What happened: - Iberdrola, through UK subsidiary ScottishPower, announced plans to repower Whitelee in Scotland in the coming years. - The project would replace existing wind turbines with newer, higher-capacity units. - Installed capacity would rise from 539 MW to 1,000 MW. - The estimated investment is €1.8 billion. - Whitelee is the UK’s largest onshore wind farm and one of the three largest in Europe.

The details: - The upgraded site is expected to generate enough clean electricity to supply more than 1.5 million people. - The project is expected to generate €380 million in gross value added for the Scottish economy over the next decade. - Hundreds of jobs would be supported across engineering, logistics, operations and maintenance, plus the supply chain. - Whitelee has operated since 2008 and has supplied clean electricity to millions of homes. - Repowering is a standard way to increase output from mature renewable sites while using existing infrastructure. - Comparable upgrades can improve efficiency, availability and digital monitoring, subject to planning and permitting.

Between the lines: - The Whitelee plan shows how aging wind farms can be turned into larger, more productive assets without starting from scratch. - Iberdrola is positioning repowering as a complement to new renewable builds, not a substitute. - The company’s broader UK plan includes £28 billion of investment through 2028 to accelerate electrification, mainly through networks and renewable generation. - The framing ties the project to energy independence, industrial competitiveness and lower exposure to imported fossil fuels.

What's next: - The repowering will move forward in the coming years, pending the relevant planning and permitting processes. - If completed as planned, Whitelee would become a 1,000 MW wind farm and a larger anchor asset in Scotland’s power system. - Iberdrola will continue using the UK as a key investment market for electrification and clean power expansion.

The bottom line: - Whitelee’s repowering is designed to turn an already major wind farm into a much bigger source of clean electricity, jobs and regional economic output.