THE Highland Council has given its backing to the West of Orkney Windfarm’s plans for a major offshore development.
The local authority met to consider the developer’s plans – which are outlined in an offshore consent application submitted to Scottish ministers in October 2023 – and gave the proposal their support.
The plans contain information on how the proposed wind farm will be constructed, alongside additional environmental information which was submitted last year and received praise from NatureScot for its clarity, the developer said.
The Highland Council is a key consultee for the multi-billion pound offshore wind project, which will be located 30km west of the Orkney Mainland and 25km north of the Sutherland coast, and aims to deliver up to two gigawatts of clean power by 2030.
In June last year, the council approved the project’s onshore application for planning permission in principle – which outlines the underground cables and electrical infrastructure required to connect the wind farm to the national transmission network.
The final decision will be now made by Scottish ministers following recommendations by the Marine Directorate Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT) and taking into account comments made by consultees.
West of Orkney Windfarm development manager Jack Farnham said, “This is another important milestone for the West of Orkney Windfarm, and we are grateful to The Highland Council for their support. This paves the way to full offshore consent which, if secured, would enable us to enter into a forthcoming UK ‘contract for difference’ auction round – which is a vital step in the advancement of both the project and its supply chain.
“The West of Orkney Windfarm is a major energy infrastructure scheme which can bring significant long-term economic benefits to the north of Scotland and beyond. We will continue to work on achieving the critical remaining project milestones in order to generate clean power by 2030.”
The project is being developed by a joint venture comprising Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, and Renewable Infrastructure Development Group (RIDG). Once complete, it will have up to 125 turbines on fixed foundations.
The developer has already supported a number of initiatives in the north of Scotland, including a £1 million research and development programme being led by EMEC in Orkney, a £900,000 education initiative led by UHI, and a £125,000 Fit 4 Renewables scheme led by ORE Catapult.
