Iberdrola adds three new projects in Scotland to its offshore wind energy portfolio

London, Jan 17 (EFE) - Scottish Power, part of the Iberdrola electricity company, has been awarded three new wind farms off the coast of Scotland on Monday, which will bring more than 800 million euros to the Scottish government and will be a "colossal step" in the delivery of wind power to the UK, according to Greempeace. Globally, Iberdrola says it now has more than 35 GW of operational capacity, in projects and early-stage developments in offshore wind and plans to invest up to 2030 some E30 billion in projects in existing and new markets, such as Asia," according to its chairman Ignacio Sánchez Galán. The award is the result of part of the auction held today by Crown Estate Scotland, which is responsible for managing land held by the Crown in that British territory. The projects total 7 gigawatts (GW) of capacity and will triple the company's existing offshore wind portfolio, which Scottish Power says will significantly boost the company's position in the UK offshore wind market. The new Scottish projects have the potential to create enough clean energy to power nearly 8.5 million homes, more than three times the number of homes in Scotland. The new projects are: joint venture MarramWind (in partnership with Shell) off the northeast coast of Scotland (3GW floating), joint venture CampionWind (in partnership with Shell) off the east coast of Scotland (2GW floating) and MachairWind off the coast of Islay (ScottishPower only 2GW fixed). The MarramWind and CampionWind sites, which are in deeper water than the Islay site, will be among the first large-scale floating offshore wind farms. Iberdrola chairman and CEO Ignacio Galán noted that "offshore wind is fundamental to a zero-emissions world" and said the company he chairs is "a world leader in offshore energy, with investments of more than E5.5 billion already delivered in the UK, Europe and the US." "The UK is where our first offshore projects were built and is home to our global center of excellence. In total, E3 billion has been invested in the UK offshore, delivering 1,000 MW of capacity," he highlighted. The executive said that investment opportunities are fostering new partnerships, such as those reached with Shell. "This builds on other partnerships we have developed globally with companies such as Total and Macquarie," he said. Meanwhile, Keith Anderson, chief executive of Scottish Power, said this is a pivotal moment that will strengthen the UK's position as a world leader in offshore wind and boost the country's economy. Meanwhile, the environmental organization Greenpeace pointed out that this major Scottish auction will generate 700 million pounds (837 million euros) for the Scottish Government. "Renewables are the step forward and this announcement marks a colossal step forward in the delivery of wind (energy) in the UK," said Greenpeace Policy Director Doug Parr. EFE vg/jm / mj