Consenting begins for 2GW of offshore wind
The consenting stage for two Scottish offshore wind farms – one floating, one fixed bottom, in total with power generation capacity of 2GW– has now begun.
The planned floating site, Ayre, will be off the coast of Orkney, while Bowdun will be slightly further south near Aberdeen.
Both wind farms are owned by Thistle Wind Partners, which was founded by DEME Group, German energy firm Qair and Aspiravi, a Belgian energy company that has built on and offshore wind turbines.
ABPMer, a consultancy that belongs to Associated British Ports, has been brought in with RPS Group to advise on various factors, such as the wave, hydrodynamic and sediment transport environment of the wind farm areas to understand how these factors could impact the planned wind farms.
ABPMer will produce models to demonstrate how different wind farm designs could influence coastal processes and other features of the seabed.
“We are delighted to support Ayre and Bowdun,” said Heidi Roberts, ABPmer Project Director. “These projects are expected to make a key contribution to Scotland’s renewable energy generation, in support of the Scottish government’s target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2045.
“ABPmer brings a wealth of experience to the project, having undertaken EIA related studies for more than 30 UK offshore wind projects, including Scotland’s Salamander, MarramWind, Beatrice, Moray East and Moray West Wind Farms, as well as post-consent coastal processes and metocean support.”
Consenting for both wind farms is expected to be completed in 2025, with construction planned to begin in 2029.
Related Articles
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENT