Lewis Wind Power acquires new wind farm site in Scotland

(Reuters) - Lewis Wind Power (LWP), a joint venture between engineering and construction group Amec Foster Wheeler and EDF Energy Renewables, on Wednesday bought new wind farm acreage on Scotland's Isle of Lewis as it seeks to sell output into the wider UK grid via a planned sub-sea cable.

LWP's acquisition of Uisenis Wind Farm for an undisclosed amount gives it the ability to install 45 turbines with a generating capacity of 162 megawatts (MW), it said in a statement.

Combined with its nearby Stornoway Wind Farm project which has planning permission for 36 turbines totalling 180 MW, LWP says the combined 342 MW of capacity brings it just shy of that needed to underpin construction of a power cable to the Scottish mainland.

"It strengthens the case for an interconnector to the mainland which will unlock the economic potential of the Western Isles and secure the development of the island's renewables sector," said Matthieu Hue, chief executive of EDF Energy Renewables.

LWP said it hopes the two projects will be able to enter the next UK government auction round for supplying low-carbon electricity.

(Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic in Milan; Editing by Greg Mahlich)