Mr Salmond has announced that Europe's largest wind farm, Whitelee on Eaglesham Moor, has received planning approval to expand its capacity to 593 MW.

This will enable it to power 275,000 homes and support 200 jobs.

The local community will receive up to £350,000 every year from the extension to spend on projects.

The First Minister unveiled the initiative in Edinburgh on Friday alongside the Maldives Envoy for Science and Technology Ahmed Moosa as he highlighted Scotland's climate change targets.

The FM said: "The Whitelee extension underlines Scotland's place at the cutting edge of green energy and our comprehensive climate change framework, including the world-leading emission reduction targets of 42% and 80% by 2020 and 2050 respectively, and the pioneering carbon assessment of our 2010-11 budget, provide a lead to other governments.


"This will form part of our work with the Maldives, to transfer knowledge about the capacity building needed to respond to the huge challenges posed by the climate change around us. The world's nations can meet this challenge only by working together."

The Scottish government's target is to meet 50% of electricity demand from renewables by 2020. There is 6.5 Gigawatts of renewables capacity installed, consented or under construction around Scotland, taking Scotland beyond the interim target of 31% of Scotland's electricity demand from renewables by 2011.

The Scottish government's Energy Consents and Deployment Unit is currently processing 36 applications (24 onshore wind, 11 hydro and one thermal), amounting to 2.7 GW.

(GK/KMcA)