The wind-energy industry celebrated a doubling of power supply in less than two years yesterday with the opening of a new wind farm in Stirling, Central Scotland.

Switching on the Braes O’Doune wind farm added 72 megawatts of power to the grid, taking wind power in Britain to two gigawatts. It took 14 years of investment for the first gigawatt to be created but the second took only 20 months.

Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, turned on the turbines at an opening ceremony. He said: “Reaching two gigawatts is a significant landmark and the UK wind industry is to be applauded.”

He said that it reflected the Government’s commitment to renewable energy as a means of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector.

The Government has set a target of 10 per cent of energy in Britain being supplied from renewable sources by 2010, and 20 per cent by 2020. Revisions expected to be made to the Renewables Obligation, a government mechanism to increase green power, are likely to give greater emphasis to the development of wave and tidal turbines, and offshore wind power, but, Mr Darling said, onshore wind farms were “delivering capacity here and now”.

He suggested that the public should be less hypocritical when urging the Government to increase green supplies but reacting with horror when developments are proposed near their homes.

Eddie O’Connor, chief executive of Airtricity, which developed Braes O’Doune, said: “Wind energy replaces fossil fuel when the wind is blowing and so saves the cost of buying the fuel. Wind is free.”

Maria McCaffery, chief executive of the British Wind Energy Association, said that the opening of the wind farm in Stirling was “a day for celebrating”.

The two gigawatt supply level was a milestone in the contribution of wind energy to Britain’s power requirements, she said, adding: “There is still much work to do if we are to achieve the Government’s target of delivering 10 per cent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2010.

“But today’s news is a tremendous step forward for harnessing our abundant natural resources for clean and sustainable energy production, which is essential in overcoming the challenges of climate change and securing energy supply.”

Blown away

2,000 megawatts (MW) is enough energy for 1.1 million households

Wind energy capacities

1 Germany 20,622 MW

2 Spain 11,615 MW

3 US 11,273 MW

4 India 6,053 MW

5 Denmark 3,136 MW

6 Italy 2,123 MW

7 UK 2,016 MW

8 Netherlands 1,564 MW

Source: BWEA

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