Scottishpower to invest £2 billion in clean energy plan

● New strategy will create 300 UK jobs and fund project at Whitelee wind farm

has announced it is to invest a record £2 billion in clean energy investment across the UK, supporting up to 300 new jobs.

Theproposedspendingcommitment, which represents the energy provider’s biggest investment in the country in a single year, includes plans for large-scale battery storage at UK wind farms and the development of onshore wind projects.

It follows the sale of Scottishpower’s thermal generation business and its transition to 100 per cent renewable energy after disposing of its coal and gas plants in 2018.

The new clean energy investment plan is expected to create up to 300 UK jobs with the Glasgow-headquartered firm this year.

The company announced plans for a 50-megawatt battery storage project at Whitelee in East Renfrewshire, the UK’S largest onshore

● Large-scale battery storage at Whitelee wind farm in East Renfrewshire

● One gigawatt pipeline of onshore wind projects

● Public charging points for electric vehicles

● Smart grid innovations

wind farm, and is set to develop a one gigawatt pipeline of onshore wind projects by 2025.

It said it sees “substantial opportunities” to continue developing onshore wind projects across Scotland and other areas of the UK.

To facilitate a predicted shift away from diesel and petrol cars, the group also intends to install a new public electric vehicle charging service based within its retail division. It will install fast chargers across the UK at strategic commercial locations from this winter.

Between 2018 and 2022 the business, which is owned by Spanish energy firm Iberdrola, has pledged to spend £6bn in the UK, with 40 per cent earscottishpower marked for new renewable energy generation.

Some 42 per cent is to be spent on enhanced networks, including smart grid technologies, and 15 per cent on “innovative services and products” for its customers.

Chief executive Keith Anderson said: “Our first investment plan since leaving coal and gas behind is a historic milestone for Scottishpower and is a vote of confidence in the UK’S commitment to decarbonising the economy.”

Anderson added: “In a time of uncertainty the UK needs to deliver its Industrial and Energy strategy and that’s what we’re providing with our biggest ever investment in a single year.

“Now that we have sold our gas power stations our growth plans are about cleaner and smarter power that will help the UK to decarbonise faster and we have set out the part we will play in the transition to electrify the economy where it matters most now – in transport and in heating.”

The news comes the week after Scottishpower revealed annual profits in its supply arm nearly trebled to £271.8m.