THE new £35m wind farm in the hills above Greenock has been hailed as a UK-first after being completed and sold off by the developers.

Global renewable energy company, BayWa r.e. says 'a milestone' has been reached in Britain's renewable energy sector with the completion and sale of what is the country’s first subsidy-free wind farm.

Eight huge wind turbines standing 110m tall have been planted in the area around Corlic Hill and the 24 MW wind farm will displace more than 18,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, with the power generated from the site being bought by supermarket giants Tesco.

The wind farm has now been snapped up sawmill firm James Jones & Sons Ltd in a joint deal with London-based specialist asset manager, Gresham House Asset Management.

John Milligan, managing director at BayWa r.e. UK, said: “What is so significant about this wind farm is that it will generate green electricity at market prices without any government subsidies.

"As the first subsidy-free wind farm in the UK, this is a significant milestone in the energy transition.”

Earlier this year, Tesco signed a 15-year deal as the 'off-taker'.

The supermarket giant will buy the green electricity generated by the site and put it towards its commitment to use 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2030.

Wayne Cranstone, investment director at Gresham House Asset Management, said: “Acquiring our first subsidy free wind farm with a long-term corporate Power Purchase Agreement in place is a great achievement and hopefully will be the first of many if we are to help the country meet its net zero carbon emissions target.”

As part of the project, BayWa r.e. has committed ongoing support for the community in Inverclyde.

Alasdair Macleod, their head of renewable development, said: “The renewable transition is about more than generating green power.

"There is also a whole green socio-economic transition that is taking place.

"For this project, we are delighted to have entered into a long-term community benefit agreement with Inverclyde Community Fund, a charitable trust that makes grants to support Inverclyde's voluntary and community sector.

"We see this as an excellent model for delivering community benefit across a wide area, such as Inverclyde.”

The wind farm's new owners James Jones & Sons are the UK’s largest family-owned timber processor with annual sales in excess of £180 million.

Their chairman Tom Bruce-Jones said: “We are delighted to have funded this acquisition.

"Enhancing our environmental impact has always been a fundamental part of our group ethos and strategy.

"We have been at the forefront of innovation with regards to all environmental matters for a number of years and have pioneered a number of innovative processes and systems to enhance our carbon negative credentials."

The plans for the wind farm proved controversial, with high profile opponents including the Depute Provost David Wilson.

The original project was put forward by Renewables 2020 before German firm BayWa R.E took over.

The site is on parts of Burnhead, Lurg Moor and Maukinhill Moor and Corlic Hill.