ScottishPower plans to invest 1.5 billion British pounds ($2 billion) to repower and expand its Whitelee onshore wind farm in Scotland, doubling its generating capacity to 1 gigawatt, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
The project would increase the capacity of what ScottishPower called the UK's flagship onshore wind farm from the current 539 megawatts, allowing it to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 650,000 homes, around 300,000 more than at present.
The proposal, submitted to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit, is expected to create hundreds of jobs and generate around 500 million British pounds in supply chain opportunities, the company said. Over the decade-long development and construction period, the project is forecast to contribute 330 million British pounds in gross value added to the Scottish economy.
The repowering plan would replace Whitelee's existing fleet with 124 larger, more efficient turbines, each about 250 meters tall, reducing the number of turbines from the current 215 while increasing overall generating capacity.
ScottishPower said it would expand the site's community benefit fund and explore community ownership opportunities. Whitelee has contributed about 20 million British pounds to East Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire councils since opening, with annual community benefits expected to rise to at least 5 million British pounds under the new plans.
The company said the investment forms part of its 24 billion-British pound program through 2028, adding that 76% of more than 1 billion British pounds spent on its supply chain in the first half of 2026 went to UK-based companies. The project will also include continued investment in operating and maintaining the site over its expected 40-year lifespan.
Whitelee, commissioned in 2008, opened with 140 turbines before two expansion phases increased the total to 215. The repowering would be carried out in three phases to maintain public access to the site, which includes a visitor center that has welcomed more than 1 million visitors, the company said.
A planning application is expected to be submitted in December 2027, with the repowered wind farm targeted to begin operating by 2035.