EDF Energy’s renewable arm has bought the Dorenell onshore wind farm project in Scotland which could provide electricity for up to 138,000 homes, the company said on Thursday.

The plant could generate up to 200 megawatts of electricity and is expected to begin operation in 2018 at a bid price of £82.50 per megawatt-hour.

EDF Energy, the British subsidiary of French utility EDF, will develop and construct the project alongside renewable energy company Infinergy which was previously developing the project, EDF Energy said in a statement.

EDF Energy chief executive Vincent de Rivaz said:

“Today’s announcement, just weeks before the international conference on climate change in Paris, confirms EDF Energy’s commitment to lead in UK investment in low carbon electricity. That means investment in wind and nuclear electricity generation with an increasing focus on the development of Scottish renewables.”

For his part, Infinergy managing director Esbjorn Wilmar commented :

“Our focus now is on bringing new technology through the planning process to make Dorenell the best wind farm it can be, maximising output at the site which will make an extremely important contribution to the renewable energy targets set by the Scottish government as part of policy to ensure greater diversity and security of electricity supplies.”

Dorenell, which will be built in the heart of whisky country near Dufftown in Moray, was consented in 2011 as a 177MW project featuring 59 turbines of 3MW each. The original developer is awaiting ministerial consent for a revised 60-unit layout featuring up to 3.3MW hardware.