ScottishPower Renewables’ fixed-bottom offshore wind farm, MachairWind, has submitted its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping report for the project’s wind farm development area to the Scottish government.
The company says requesting a formal scoping opinion from the Scottish government’s Marine Directorate, the offshore planning authority, is a key element in the preparation of the EIA for the proposed 2 GW project.
The process is meant to establish the environmental factors to be assessed and approach to be taken throughout the EIA process. It is expected to be submitted in 2026.
The scoping report covers the windfarm development area only, with the area proposed to hold 147 wind turbines and foundations as well as the cables connecting the turbines. The area has been reduced in size by the company, from 754 square-kilometers to 510 square-kilometers, as part of its early design considerations and may be refined further as project plans develop.
The report sets out existing environmental information based on publicly available data, site-specific surveys and studies and stakeholder feedback from the likes of Argyll & Bute Council, NatureScot, Historic Environment Scotland, RSPB Scotland and organizations representing commercial fisheries.
It then sets out technical topics that would be assessed as part of the EIA, including seascape, landscape and visual impact; offshore ornithology; marine mammals; commercial fisheries, socio-economics and shipping and navigation.
The Marine Directorate is expected to provide its formal Scoping Opinion in the new year, following detailed consultation and engagement with key stakeholders.
“The submission of our scoping report is an important milestone and a key step in the consenting journey for MachairWind,” says Kiera Wilson, ScottishPower Renewables’ MachairWind development lead.
“We’re committed to ensuring our project is shaped by local people, communities and stakeholders and minimizes any potential impacts while maximizing benefits and opportunities across the Argyll and Bute region and the west of Scotland. We look forward to receiving feedback in due course and shaping our EIA and development proposals to ensure MachairWind does just that.”
