Gamesa Energy UK opens new Newport energy headquarters and unveils plans to produce 2000 megawatt of wind power in Wales, England and Scotland.

Spanish renewable energy company Gamesa is to build wind farms with the capacity to produce 2000 megawatts in Britain.

Gamesa Energy UK, a division of one of the world’s biggest renewable energy developers, made the announcement as it opened its new UK headquarters in Newport.

It plans to have as many as five new wind farms in operation in Wales within the next two years

Gamesa wants to generate 400 megawatts from Welsh wind farms and 1600 megawatts from proposed sites across England and Scotland.

The announcement coincided with Green Party spokeman Dr Spencer Fitz Gibbons telling its annual conference that such projects should not be sited in natural beauty spots.

At present only 3% of Britain’s electricity production is from ‘green’ sources, including 770 megawatts from wind power. The government has set a target of increasing this to 10% by 2010.

But with turbines reaching up to 100m tall, the Green Party is urging the government to consider the aesthetics of proposed sites for any new wind farms. It suggested disused RAF bases, or off-shore sites as alternative venues.