Buchan Offshore Wind has submitted an onshore planning application to Aberdeenshire Council for the onshore infrastructure required to connect their multi-billion pound energy project to the electricity grid.
Buchan Offshore Wind is the developer of a floating offshore wind farm 75 km northeast of Fraserburgh on the Aberdeenshire coast. With a capacity close to 1GW and a connection date of 2033, it is anticipated that its construction later this decade will spark significant investment in Scotland’s ports and bring long term jobs to Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.
The application provides detail of the proposed onshore electrical infrastructure which will connect this landmark offshore wind project to the existing transmission network at Peterhead substation. The works includes a cable landfall on the Aberdeenshire coast at Rattray Head and an underground cable route which will extend around 20 km south to the project substation on a site close to the existing Peterhead Substation – all of which is required to connect the major offshore energy project to the grid.
Commenting on the application, Project Director Clare Lavelle said:
'We are developing a world-leading floating offshore windfarm with the potential to be a cornerstone for large-scale manufacturing in Scotland, supporting thousands of new jobs, and driving progress towards the UK and Scotland’s offshore wind targets.
'The onshore connection is a vital component of the project and will enable us to export clean electricity sufficient to power around a million homes. The cables to our substation will all be underground and once installed, the land will be reinstated.
'We’ve carried out detailed assessments to identify and address environmental constraints when locating the landfall and cable routes, while also taking on board feedback from local communities. Over the past three years, the project team has hosted nine public events, engaging with residents across Aberdeenshire and the Buchan coast, as well as meeting with businesses and organisations across the region.
'These events have provided vital opportunities for local people to contribute to the project’s development, ensuring that the project can reflect regional priorities,' Lavelle says.
It is estimated the project’s development would see more than £900 million invested in Scotland’s manufacturing sector and supply chain, with around 2,900 jobs in Scotland at the peak of construction and close to 300 ongoing jobs during operation.
The project has identified BW Ideol’s patented Damping Pool® floating substructure as its preferred foundation option, with BW Ideol working actively to establish a manufacturing centre at the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility being developed at the former oil and gas fabrication yard on the Moray Firth.
The project also offers significant opportunity to the existing supply chain in the north-east of Scotland, including the region’s ports and harbours, which will play a key role in construction and a long-term role in the operation and maintenance of the project.
Earlier this year the Buchan project submitted its offshore consent application to Scottish Ministers.
'Securing timely offshore and onshore consents is critical to unlocking the significant inward investment this ambitious project will generate,' Lavelle says.
'Our application will be available to view at Buchan House in Peterhead and Fraserburgh Library and on our website and I would encourage as many people as possible to view and comment on our proposal,' Lavelle concludes.
The full application is also available to view and comment on through the Aberdeenshire Council website here.
Source: Buchan Offhore Wind
