FIRST Minister Alex Salmond today helped the £300million windfarm at Eaglesham Moor take a step nearer completion.

He joined ScottishPower chairman Ignacio Sanchez Galán celebrate the imminent finish of the project by switching on one of the last of the initial 140 turbines.

Mr Salmond has spoken enthusiastically of the potential of green energy - and says it could be Scotland's way out of the economic downturn.

Whitelee Windfarm, Europe's largest onshore wind power project, will be capable of producing up to 322 megawatts of electricity - enough to power more than 180,000 homes.

ScottishPower Renewables aims to add another 36 turbines, which would increase the output by up to 130 megawatts, taking the total up to 452MW.

A £2million, high-tech visitor centre is being built, the first of its kind in the UK.

Once completed in the summer, it will house an exhibition explaining how the windfarm was built, and an education hub where trained staff will talk about windfarms and renewable energy.

Tours of the site will be available, and there are plans to introduce eco-friendly buses, powered by electricity generated from the site.

Some 90km of roads and tracks that criss-cross Whitelee will eventually be improved and opened up to cyclists and ramblers.

SPR is part of Iberdrola Renewables, the world's biggest producer of renewable energy.

Iberdrola chairman Mr Galan said the group remained "deeply committed" to Scotland.

Speaking as he hosted a dinner of the three main boards of the Iberdrola Group in Glasgow, at Kelvingrove Art Gallery, he said: "Our goals here are to bring wealth through our investments, provide employment and focus our purchases on local suppliers."

The board members were welcomed by Jim Mather MSP, Minister for Energy and Tourism, and Glasgow's Lord Provost, Bob Winter.