THE world’s deepest fixed-bottom offshore wind farm and Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm is now operational.
All 114 of Seagreen’s Vestas V164-10.0 MW turbines are operational at the site situated 27km off the Angus coast in the Firth of Forth, with its deepest foundation installed at a record 58.7 meters below sea level.
Operated from a dedicated onshore operations and maintenance base at Montrose Port, Seagreen has capacity to generate enough renewable electricity to power almost 1.6 million homes annually. Furthermore, Seagreen has the capability to displace over two million tonnes of carbon dioxide from electricity generated by fossil fuels each year.
The first Vestas 10 MW turbine was installed in December 2021, with first power achieved in August 2022 ahead of the installation of the final turbine at the site earlier this summer. Now completed, power from Seagreen’s 114 turbines is being exported from the North Sea site via three subsea cables to landfall at Carnoustie, and then through 19km of underground cabling to a new onshore substation at Tealing near Dundee, before being distributed to homes and businesses via the GB power grid.
SSE Renewables led the development and construction of the Seagreen project, supported by TotalEnergies. Going forward, SSE Renewables will operate the offshore wind farm with support from TotalEnergies.
Some 141 construction jobs were supported during the peak period of construction, this included work for 93 permanent roles already on-site as well as the creation of an additional 48 new roles which were recruited at the port, delivering a green jobs boost to the Highlands.
Up to 30 new jobs were created with local Angus contracting firm Pert-Bruce during construction of the Seagreen Operations & Maintenance (O&M) base at Montrose Port. Around 10% of the Pert Bruce total workforce on the project were apprentices.
Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf said, “The Seagreen offshore windfarm is a fantastic example of the work being done to unleash Scotland’s renewable potential, as we seek to lead the world in the transition to net zero.
“This significant milestone for Seagreen is also significant for Scotland, taking us a step closer to creating a net zero energy system that delivers affordable, secure and clean energy.
“Delivering on our climate obligations is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government – so too is our unwavering commitment to a just transition for workers.
“We are determined to maximise the economic opportunity Scotland’s offshore wind potential presents, by developing local supply chains, embedding innovation, boosting skills, creating jobs, and benefitting people and communities.”
Stephen Wheeler, MD at SSE Renewables, added, “This is a landmark moment for offshore wind in Scotland and for the global offshore wind industry. The Seagreen project has pushed new boundaries through its use of innovative suction caisson technology which has allowed our project team to set new records through the installation of the world’s deepest fixed-bottom foundations at the site. This makes Seagreen a pioneer for future developments in deeper waters so they can be built faster and more efficiently, accelerating the clean energy transition.
“As construction lead, all of us at SSE Renewables are proud of the contribution the entire team has made in the delivery of Seagreen, from partners TotalEnergies to our main contractors at Vestas, Seaway 7, Nexans and Petrofac. We’re particularly pleased the delivery of Seagreen has contributed over £1 billion to the Scottish economy, supporting thousands of jobs. We’re now looking forward to the next 25-plus years as SSE Renewables takes on operational responsibilities for Seagreen, ensuring it plays a key role in the energy transition and the delivery of secure, homegrown clean and green energy to Scottish and UK customers.”
