SCOTLAND’S second-largest offshore wind farm could be up and running by 2016 after the developer submitted a £1.4 billion application to build up to 125 wind turbines off the east coast of Scotland.
Mainstream Renewable Power (MRP), which is developing wind farms in seven countries on four continents, has asked government agency Marine Scotland for permission to erect between 64 and 125 turbines off the coast of Fife.
The Neart na Gaoithe farm is expected to generate up to 450 megawatts (MW) of power, supplying enough energy for about 325,000 homes – the equivalent of the whole of Edinburgh or up to 3.7 per cent of Scotland’s entire electricity demand.
Dublin-based MRP agreed to lease part of the seabed from the Crown Estate last year, having secured a grid connection in 2010.
The company aims to reach financial close next year before starting construction work in 2015 and having the site fully operational by the end of 2016.
Andy Kinsella, chief executive of MRP’s offshore business, said: “This is a major milestone in the delivery of this offshore wind farm.
“With over 7,500MW of offshore wind farms in development in the UK and Germany, this demonstrates Mainstream’s ability in selecting the best sites.”
MRP will apply to East Lothian Council later this year for permission to bury a cable between Thorntonloch and the Crystal Rig wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills to connect the offshore farm to the national grid. Neart na Gaoithe – which means “might of the wind” in Gaelic – is the second-largest offshore project in the Scottish planning system behind the 1,000MW Beatrice scheme planned by Perth-based SSE and SeaEnergy Renewables in the Outer Moray Firth, according to trade body RenewableUK.
That windfarm is planned for nine miles off the coast of Caithness and would be visible from as far afield as Orkney and Moray.
The company said the exact number of turbines at the development would depend on which model is selected and numbers will range between 64 and 125.
It would account for 3.7 per cent of Scotland’s total electricity demand when fully operational.
The site is one of six highlighted as suitable for development by the Scottish Government’s strategic environmental assessment.
MRP has secured a power grid connection and has an agreement for lease with the Crown Estate.
Dr Sam Gardner, senior climate policy officer at WWF Scotland, said the proposal will have to go through the appropriate checks but praised the benefits of green energy.
“With its expertise in offshore technology, Scotland is very well-placed to embrace offshore wind as a major source of clean energy,” he said.
“Offshore wind creates jobs and cuts emissions. It’s been estimated that Scotland’s offshore wind industry could create 28,000 jobs by 2020 and lead to £7.1bn of investment into the economy.
“With careful planning, we can harness Scotland’s marine renewables potential to help cut our climate emissions while safeguarding the nation’s tremendous marine environment.”