SSE Renewables has unveiled plans to combine two proposed offshore wind farms into one ‘super project’ development.
The firm said that partnering Berwick Bank and Marr Bank into one facility known as Berwick Bank Wind Farm 40km off the east coast of Scotland would accelerate the country’s net zero ambitions.
It added that, with a potential output of 4.1GW, the wind farm would more than double the size of current offshore wind in Scotland – increasing the country’s overall renewable energy capacity by nearly 30%, allowing for over five million homes to be powered.
SSE said a planning application is expected to be lodged with the Scottish Government in spring 2022. If consented and greenlit for construction, the firm said it could begin generating clean energy in the second half of this decade.
Cabinet secretary for net zero and climate change, Michael Matheson,said, “Decarbonising our energy demands is a vital component of our just transition to net-zero and our world-leading renewables sector will play a vital role in this.
“The continuing growth of offshore wind over the next decade will be crucial to meeting our incredibly stretching, near-term climate targets, and we will need to work innovatively, at pace and with agility to do so.
“I welcome this announcement from SSE Renewables which demonstrates their commitment to helping Scotland’s contribution to climate change within a generation.”
Alex Meredith, SSE Renewables’ Berwick Bank project director, added, “By combining the two project proposals into a super project we believe we can deliver Berwick Bank Wind Farm – one of the world’s largest offshore wind opportunities – more quickly.
“We’re proud of our track record of support and benefits that our projects bring to the Scottish and UK supply chains. With Berwick Bank our ambition is to utilise as many local, Scottish and UK based suppliers where possible throughout all stages of development, construction, and operation.
“That’s why we believe the size of Berwick Bank represents a huge opportunity to secure a multi-billion-pound investment in the Scottish and UK supply chain, bringing a wealth of opportunities for businesses of all sizes and disciplines.”
