Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has announced the formal consent of two large offshore wind farms that are adjacent to each other in the outer Moray Firth. The minister says the developments, sited off the Caithness coast, will be capable of generating a total of up to 1.87 GW and worth up to 2.5 billion British pounds to the Scottish economy.
Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd., a joint venture between EDP Renewables and Repsol, and the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd., a joint venture between SSE Renewables and SeaEnergy Renewables, will feature a total of up to 326 wind turbines.
The minister adds that the consents are granted subject to strict conditions that will mitigate and monitor a range of potential impacts, including in relation to birds and other environmental considerations.
"The Scottish Government is committed to the successful and sustainable development of an offshore wind sector, which could lead to a potential inward investment of 30 billion [British pounds] and support up to 28,000 direct jobs and a further 20,000 indirect jobs, generating up to 7.1 billion [British pounds] for the Scottish economy," says Ewing.
