Scout Moor Wind Farm

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 / 53.65944; -2.25194
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.co.uk scoutmoor2.co.uk
Commons	Related media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

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]