Scottish Power has been accused of “environmental madness” after it was revealed more than 70 of its wind turbines had been hooked up to diesel generators.
The Sunday Mail revealed via a whistleblower that diesel generators were used on 71 turbines in order to prevent them freezing during cold weather in December.
Scottish Power told the publication that this took place after a fault developed on the grid.
Sixty wind turbines at Arecleoch windfarm and 11 at Glen App, both in South Ayrshire, were affected.
Scottish Power confirmed diesel generators were used for a “short period of time” due to an “external fault on the GB network”. They were not used to generate electricity through the blades.
The firm said the reliability of its 1,183 onshore turbines through 2022 was 96%.
South Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth told the Mail that “whatever the reasons, having to use diesel generators to de-ice faulty turbines is environmental madness”.
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