£17 million wind farm

The

and

are teaming up to build a 16MW windfarm at Coldham in Cambridgeshire, which will provide enough green energy to power almost 10,000 homes.

The £17 million joint venture represents the Co-op's first ever windfarm and ScottishPower's first renewable energy project outside of Scotland.

The eight-turbine windfarm will produce energy which would require the release of 35,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere each year if generated by conventional means.

Work will begin immediately on the scheme, which is being developed on a small part of the 4000 acre agricultural estate, operated by the Co-operative's Farmcare arm and is scheduled for completion later this year.

ScottishPower already supplies over 3,500 Co-operative Group sites with renewable energy through a £18 million contract announced last year. The joint venture, Coldham Windfarms, which will build and operate the project, is seen as a natural progression of this relationship.

ScottishPower currently generates 158MW of wind power and has a further 127MW in construction, together providing enough power for 160,000 homes. The company plans to invest £1 billion in

windfarms by 2010 producing over 1000MW.