EAST Lothian Council has granted planning permission in principle for the proposed Berwick Bank offshore wind farm’s onshore transmission infrastructure and grid connection at Branxton.
SSE Renewables’ Berwick Bank is the largest offshore wind farm planning application to be submitted in the UK, with it to be located 38 kilometres off the East Lothian coast and capable of increasing Scotland’s overall renewable energy capacity in operation today by 30%.
An economic impact study carried out by independent renewable energy consultants, BVG Associates (BVGA), has shown that at peak construction in 2026, the project could create around 4,650 direct, indirect and induced jobs in Scotland, and 9,300 in the UK – adding an estimated £8.3 billion to the UK economy as a whole over the lifetime of the project.
Securing planning consent in principle for the onshore grid network will enable renewable energy generated by the proposed offshore wind farm to be transmitted to the national grid via onshore cable infrastructure and a new substation at Branxton.
SSE said this is a major milestone for the project as it represents the first planning consent for the Berwick Bank offshore wind project to be granted. The organisation will follow up the planning consent in principle with a detailed design planning application to East Lothian Council in due course.
SSE is targeting a final investment decision on the project in 2025, subject to receiving a timely consent and off take contract.
SSE Renewables Berwick Bank project director, Alex Meredith, commented, “Berwick Bank is a pioneering project that, if given the green light, will help Scotland achieve net zero by 2045. The development will support the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. We welcome this planning consent from East Lothian Council which comes at a crucial time with COP28 currently underway, reflecting our collective commitment to tackling the climate emergency.
“The onshore grid network is an immensely important part of the project; simply put, without this element, the project could not continue. With consent now granted from East Lothian Council for planning permission in principle, we can progress to a detailed design which will allow us to build the infrastructure required to support the conversion of clean, green energy into the national grid.
“The next steps for Berwick Bank are to secure planning consent for the offshore part of the project, which we’re hoping to receive early in the new year from the Scottish Government. From there, we will look to move very quickly into the UK’s next CfD auction where a successful outcome would enable us to move forward with the final investment decision and construction of the project.”
