Two offshore wind farms are set to be developed in the Moray
Firth.
The North and South Caledonia offshore windfarms, which will
cover an area of 429km2 with up to 140 wind turbines,
have been granted consents and marine licences by the Scottish
Government. The projects estimate they could generate enough
electricity annually to power 2 million households.
In its latest Supply Chain Development Statement, Ocean Winds has
committed to spend £1.7 bn in Scotland across the two projects.
The wind farms will support jobs across engineering,
manufacturing, ports and vessels, as well as creating long-term
operations and maintenance roles.
The Caledonia South project is planning to use a mix of
foundation technologies and will help advance Scotland's position
as a world-leader in floating wind.
Developer Ocean Winds must mitigate and minimise impacts to the
environment and other sea users, including preparing a detailed
seabird compensation plan outlining how adverse impacts on
seabirds will be compensated for. These plans will need to be
approved by Ministers ahead of Caledonia North and South
proceeding.
First Minister said:
We have given the Caledonia North and South offshore wind farm
applications very careful consideration.
This consent decision is a significant step in Scotland's
progress towards tackling climate change and reaching net zero,
which is a key priority for the Scottish Government.
It is also an important decision for Scotland's renewables
sector. This investment will be built upon further through
the delivery of Scotland's significant future pipeline of
offshore wind projects.
We will continue to work closely with the developer and key
stakeholders, including those working in fishing and conservation
to minimise impacts on the marine environment and other marine
users, balancing the needs of people and nature.
Background
Section 36 consent decision
notice and associated marine licences
Caledonia North is a fixed bottom offshore wind farm located in
the outer Moray Firth, approximately 28km from the Wick coastline
and 48km from the Banff coastline with an anticipated generating
capacity of 1 Gigawatts, produced by up to 77 offshore Wind
Turbine Generators.
Caledonia South is a combined fixed bottom and floating offshore
wind farm located in the outer Moray Firth, approximately 45km
from the Wick coastline and 35km from the Banff coastline with an
anticipated generating capacity of 1 Gigawatts produced by up to
78 Wind Turbine Generators (of which no more than 39 shall be
floating). Across both Caledonia North and Caledonia South, the
total number of WTG will not exceed 140.
The applications were supported by an Environmental Impact
Assessment Report including information to inform the Habitats
Regulations. Consultation and public engagement have been
undertaken on the Applications in line with regulatory
requirements and the responses received taken into consideration.
The Caledonia North and South offshore windfarms are the second
set of ScotWind projects to have been granted offshore consent by
Scottish Ministers.
