| Scout Moor Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
 An aerial view of Scout Moor Wind Farm | |
 | |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Location | Scout Moor, Hail Storm Hill, and Knowle Moor, North West England |
| Coordinates | 53°39′34″N 2°15′7″W / 53.65944°N 2.25194°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | January 2007 |
| Commission date | 25 September 2008 |
| Construction cost | £50 million |
| Owner | Munich Re[[1]] |
| Wind farm | |
| Hub height | 60 m (197 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 80 m (262 ft) |
| Site area | 1,347 acres (545 ha) |
| Site elevation | 1,552 ft (473 m) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 26 |
| Make and model | Nordex: Nordex N80 2.5 MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 65 MW |
| Capacity factor | 29% |
| Annual net output | 165.6 GWh |
| External links | |
| Website | scoutmoorwindfarm |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
Scout Moor Wind Farm is the second largest onshore wind farm in England. The wind farm, which was built for Peel Wind Power Ltd, produces electricity from 26 Nordex N80 wind turbines. It has a total nameplate capacity of 65 MW of electricity, providing 154,000 MW·h per year;[1] enough to serve the average needs of 40,000 homes. The site occupies 1,347 acres (545 ha) of open moorland between Edenfield, Rawtenstall and Rochdale,[2] and is split between the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in northern Greater Manchester and the Borough of Rossendale in south-eastern Lancashire. The turbines are visible from as far away as south Manchester, 15–20 miles (24–32 km) away.[3]
A protest group was formed to resist the proposed construction, and attracted support from the botanist and environmental campaigner David Bellamy. Despite the opposition, planning permission was granted in 2005 and construction began in 2007. Although work on the project was hampered by harsh weather, difficult terrain, and previous mining activity, the wind farm was officially opened on 25 September 2008 after "years of controversy",[4] at a cost of £50 million.
In 2012 Peel Energy sold its 50% share in the facility to Munich Re's asset management division MEAG. The other 50% holding was also purchased by MEAG from HgCapital Renewable Power Partners.[5]
In November 2024, Cubico Sustainable Investments unveiled plans to expand Scout Moor Wind Farm with 21 new turbines, aiming to generate over 100 MW of electricity. This expansion would make Scout Moor the largest onshore wind farm in England. The project would power 100,000 homes and contribute over 10% of Greater Manchester's domestic energy needs, marking a key step toward the UK’s goal of doubling onshore wind capacity by 2030. [6]
- ^ average output 17.6 MWe, a capacity factor of 27%
- ^ "Lancashire County Council External Overview and Scrutiny Committee Minutes (Word Document)". 6 January 2005. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
- ^ McMullan, Dan (1 February 2007). "Work begins on £50million windfarm". Manchester Evening News. M.E.N. Media. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Bolton09was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Anon (14 August 2012). "United Kingdom : HgCAPITAL Sells Its Operating 102MW UK Wind Portfolio to MUNICH RE". Mena Report. Al Bawaba (Middle East) Ltd. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ Scout Moor 2 Website