Onshore substation works begin for Scottish OSW farm

Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm is owned by the Inch Cape Offshore joint venture that was formed between Scottish renewable energy firm Red Rock Power and Irish energy company ESB. It could provide energy to power half of the homes in Scotland, says engineering firm Careys, which has been hired to prepare the onshore substation site. This is a brownfield site, formerly home to a coal-powered power station.

In total, 72 turbines with a generating capacity of 1.1GW will be installed 15km from the East Lothian coast. They will need 85km of export cables to connect them to the onshore substation.

The wind farm will take up a 150km² area in the North Sea.

Initial groundworks at Cockenzie were completed in December and the next phase of works will see further drainage created, the laying of concrete bases, the building of internal roads and bunds, landscaping, and steel-framed buildings.

The company says regular aerial drone surveys will be carried out by local firm Innovair to monitor the progress.

The wind farm will be hailed as making a contribution to the UK’s target of 50GW of generated offshore wind power by 2030.