The project’s first consent application is for the onshore transmission works (substation and underground cables). This has been submitted to Aberdeenshire Council, who have started their formal public consultation on the application.
Marine Scotland is expected to open consultation on the application for the offshore works (turbines, offshore substations, and onshore transmission cables) in the coming weeks.
“This is the project’s biggest milestone, coming after three years of work to develop the project and complete the Environmental Impact Assessment. To enable the project to be considered in full by our stakeholders, the Environmental Impact Assessment report covers both onshore and offshore infrastructure”, said Ruaridh Danaher, Caledonia Onshore Consent Manager.
Caledonia will be Ocean Winds’ third development in the Moray Firth, joining Moray East, which came online in 2020, and Moray West, which achieved first power in July this year.
The 2 GW project, which is expected to be operational in 2030, will double offshore wind generation in the Moray Firth, the UK.
“Ocean Winds has been investing in the Moray Firth since the commercial dawn of the offshore wind industry in Scotland”, said Mark Baxter, Project Director for Caledonia.
“This site – neighbouring our existing infrastructure – is in water depths which enables us to use the fixed foundations which we have optimised for low cost, low risk, rapid delivery, and our distance from shore means we can use AC connection technology instead of being at the mercy of global shortages in the HVDC supply chain.”
