Turbines deal for 'largest wind farm' secures jobs

The turbine towers will be built at Skykon's plant in Campbeltown

A deal to supply turbine towers for Europe's largest onshore wind farm in South Lanarkshire will help secure jobs at a factory in Campbeltown.

Skykon Solutions has signed a multi-million pound contract with Scottish and Southern Energy to supply towers for the Clyde wind farm near Abington.

The firm took over the troubled Vestas turbine plant at Machrihanish in March.

It said the Clyde wind farm deal would support significant expansion at the factory.

When complete, the 152-turbine facility near Abington will be capable of powering up to 320,000 homes

Scotland has become the most positive and the most interesting renewable wind power market in Europe Jesper Øhlenschlæger Skykon

The £600m scheme is expected to create up to 200 jobs during construction.

The phased build will see the 80m turbines erected in clusters on either side of the M74 motorway.

Work on constructing the turbines is due to begin in February next year, with the first delivery projected for late March 2010.

Jesper Øhlenschlæger, chief executive of Skykon, said: "The Clyde project is a very important business win for our Campbeltown manufacturing facility.

"Scotland has become the most positive and the most interesting renewable wind power market in Europe.

"This growing demand has allowed us to begin to meet our commercial objectives of building a leading tower supplier, delivering to the large wind turbine generators."

The largest onshore wind farm in Europe at present is the Whitelee development on Eaglesham Moor in East Renfrewshire.

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