ScottishPower Renewables is contributing to an innovative project called BIOSCAN, which focuses on studying the genetic diversity of approximately one million flying insects from various regions of the UK.

This research could potentially lead to the discovery of previously unknown insect species.

ScottishPower Renewables’ ecology team, in collaboration with universities, museums and nature bodies, will collect insects from Whitelee Windfarm for analysis as part of the Wellcome Sanger Institute’s BIOSCAN initiative.

Each month, the SPR ecology team will set up a trap at Whitelee Windfarm to capture insects.

These insects will be sent to the Sanger Institute for analysis.

Scientists will utilise the Barcode of Life DNA database to identify the species and monitor changes in species diversity and abundance over time.

This project’s data will help assess the impact of ScottishPower Renewables’ peatland restoration efforts on the insect communities at Whitelee Windfarm.