Lynemouth
The aluminium smelter's captive coal plant. Lynemouth is a 26 MW wind farm in North East England, operated by Scottish Power. The UK government lists it as operational in its register of power stations (DUKES table 5.11, May 2025).
- North East
- England
- Commissioned 1972
- Closed 2015
Key facts
- Installed capacity
- 26 MW
- Status
- Operational
- Technology
- Wind
- Operator
- Scottish Power
- Region
- North East
- Country
- England
- Coordinates
- 55.2016, -1.5396
- Commissioned
- 1972
- Closed
- 2015
- Units
- 3
- Unit capacity mw
- 140
- Original purpose
- Captive supply for Alcan aluminium smelter
Location
Map position from the published coordinates. For small sites this can be an approximate point rather than the exact boundary. Map Β© OpenStreetMap contributors.
How Lynemouth compares
At a typical UK load factor for this technology (about 26% of the maximum possible output), a 26 MW station would generate roughly 59 GWh of electricity in a year, similar to the annual use of about 21,930 homes at 2,700 kWh each. This is an illustrative estimate, not the station's metered output: real generation varies with weather, availability and grid constraints.
Wind farms turn the kinetic energy of the wind into electricity with turbines. Output varies with wind speed. Offshore sites usually see stronger, steadier winds than onshore sites and so generate more per MW of capacity.
All UK wind farms Wind farms in North East All run by Scottish PowerAbout Lynemouth
History
Commissioned in 1972 to power the Alcan aluminium smelter next door. One of the few UK coal stations built as a captive industrial supply rather than for the grid. Three 140 MW units. Closed for coal generation at end of 2015 and converted to biomass, reopening in 2018.
The site today
Coal generation ceased December 2015. Converted to biomass and reopened 2018 as Lynemouth Power Ltd. Still operating on wood pellets.
Did you know?
- Originally built for the Alcan aluminium smelter next door
- Converted to biomass in 2018
- Uses wood pellets imported from North America
- One of the few UK coal stations built for industrial rather than grid supply
Nearby generating sites
- Lynemouth Power Limited Β· 420 MW biomass power station0.7 km
- Sisters Β· 8.2 MW onshore wind farm7.0 km
- North Steads Β· 18.5 MW onshore wind farm8.7 km
- Blyth Β· 40 MW offshore wind farm11.7 km
- Wingates Β· 15 MW onshore wind farm18.2 km
- Kirkheaton Β· 1.8 MW onshore wind farm31.3 km
- Ray Β· 54.4 MW onshore wind farm33.8 km
- Middlemoor Β· 54 MW onshore wind farm36.0 km
Also operated by Scottish Power
Scottish Power operates 42 sites in the register. Largest first:
- Longannet Power Station Β· coal-fired power station2,400 MW
- Cockenzie Power Station Β· coal-fired power station1,152 MW
- East Anglia One Β· offshore wind farm714 MW
- Whitelee I Β· onshore wind farm322 MW
- Kilgallioch Β· onshore wind farm239 MW
- Whitelee II Β· onshore wind farm217 MW
- Harestanes Β· onshore wind farm136 MW
- Black Law I Β· onshore wind farm124 MW
Planning history
From the government's Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), matched to this site by location, capacity and name.
- Planning status
- Operational
- Site name in planning record
- Lynemouth Windfarm (Resubmission)
- Developer / operator
- Scottish Power Renewables
- Planning authority
- Northumberland
- Planning reference
- CM/20060984
- Application submitted
- 20 November 2006
- Permission granted
- 8 January 2009
- Construction started
- 1 July 2010
- Began operating
- 12 April 2012
- Capacity in planning record
- 26 MW
- Address
- Land adjacent to Rio Tinto Alcan Smelter, Lynemouth (2km north of Ashington), Northumberland
- REPD reference
- 3752
Source
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), table 5.11: power stations in the United Kingdom.
Capacity is installed capacity as published, not current output. Status reflects the source date, not live operation.
View the original source
Last checked by Octary: 15 July 2026
Spotted an error? Tell us and we will check it against the source.