Scottish Power's application to extend its £300m windfarm at Whitelee has been granted, giving it the capacity to power 250,000 homes while enabling the company to create up to 300 green jobs, First Minister Alex Salmond announced today.

The First Minister made the announcement as he carried out the official "switch-on" to connect the 140 turbines within Europe's largest onshore windfarm at Whitelee, East Renfrewshire, to the National Grid.

The Scottish Government's approval of the extension will give the windfarm a total power capacity of 452 MW and create up to 300 new jobs in construction. The event coincided with Energy Minister Jim Mather's announcement at the All Energy conference in Aberdeen of the new Executive chair of the Scottish European Green Energy Centre, Duncan Botting.

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Before visiting Whitelee windfarm, Mr Salmond met with apprentices and engineers involved in Scottish Gas' £2m Energy Academy in Hamilton. The Academy is stimulating Scotland's energy potential by providing training and career options for hundreds of Scots.

Mr Salmond said: "Whitelee in its current form is already flying the flag for onshore wind power in Europe. The planned extension, which I am delighted to announce today, will enable the windfarm to harness its comparative and competitive advantage in wind generated energy within Europe. It has the infrastructure, the expertise and the capacity to continue to develop in the future.

"During its initial construction, the windfarm employed more than 500 people and ploughed £30m investment directly into the Scottish economy. The benefits of this investment go beyond South Lanarkshire and beyond our real economy. It is an investment in Scotland's potential and ambition to lead the clean, green energy revolution."

It has also been announced today that Duncan Botting will chair the Scottish European Green Energy Centre - a body which will act as a focal point for Scottish engagement in Europe to further green energy research, development and deployment.

(GK/JM)