Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) has announced that it is looking to form partnerships with energy companies in a bid to establish wind energy projects in "suitable locations".

The commission, which manages 665,000 hectares (1.6 million acres) of the country's national forest estate on behalf of the Scottish Government, aims to contribute more towards efforts to generate renewable energy. According to estimates, the creation of new wind farms on land managed by FCS could supply more than a million homes with power, as well as generate £30m for the economy each year by 2020.

Scottish cabinet secretary for rural affairs and the environment, Richard Lochhead, said: "As part of the Scottish Government's commitment to tackling climate change, we are preparing to deliver a challenging target of reducing Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. We also want to see 50 per cent of all Scotland's electricity produced from renewable sources by 2020. "Forestry Commission Scotland manages around a tenth of the country's land mass and the forests and open land are ideal places to explore the development of windfarms and other renewable projects in a sensitive manner."

FCS has also secured a joint agreement with Partnerships for Renewables (PfR), part of Carbon Trust Enterprises, in order to develop new wind energy schemes in the Scottish Borders and Scottish Lowlands regions.