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Released May 24, 2017 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Four large offshore windfarms in Scotland have received a second wind after a legal ruling overturned a decision that blocked their development.
The four windfarms have the potential to supply enough power to more than 1.4 million homes but were blocked following a successful legal challenge last July by the wildlife charity RSPB Scotland, which classed the projects as deadly to thousands of protected species of birds including kittiwakes and puffins. The windfarms, all located in the Forth and Tay regions off Scotland's east coast, have a combined generating capacity of almost 2,300 megawatts (MW).
The Court of Session in Edinburgh overruled the previous block last week in support of the Scottish government, which green lit the four projects in 2014. For additional information, see October 14, 2014, article - Scotland Bets Big on Offshore Wind.
The four projects are Neart Na Gaoithe, Inch Cape Offshore, Seagreen Alpha and Seagreen Bravo. Irish renewable energy company Mainstream Renewable Power Limited (Dublin, Ireland), which is behind the most advanced of the projects, the 450-MW Neart Na Gaoithe windfarm, welcomed the court's ruling.
David Sweenie, Mainstream Renewable Power's offshore manager for Scotland, said: "This £2 billion ($2.25 billion) project is capable of supplying all the homes in a city the size of Edinburgh with clean energy. It will create over 500 jobs during construction and over 100 permanent jobs once operational. More than £540 million ($606 million) will be directly invested in Scotland during the construction phase and a further £610 million ($685 million) during the operational phase. As a nationally significant infrastructure project, Neart na Gaoithe will help Scotland and the U.K. meet their climate and energy goals, and develop a world-leading offshore wind sector. Rapid advances in offshore wind technology have enabled us to reduce the number of turbines to be installed from 125 in the original consent application in 2012 to a maximum of 64 turbines today."
Scotland's Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse, said: "The Scottish government remains strongly committed to the development of offshore wind energy, as this key low-carbon technology offers a huge economic opportunity for Scotland. Clearly, protecting Scotland's marine environment is of paramount importance and at the heart of the Scottish government's approach to offshore renewable energy applications, and we are keen to work constructively with the RSPB and renewable energy developers to ensure the sector has a bright future in Scotland."
Stuart Housden, the director of RSPB Scotland, commented: "We are hugely disappointed by today's judgment. Whilst we fully support deployment of renewable energy, this must not be at any cost. Combined, these four huge projects threaten to kill thousands of Scotland's internationally protected seabirds every year, including thousands of puffins, gannets and kittiwakes. These could be amongst the most deadly windfarms for birds anywhere in the world."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
The four windfarms have the potential to supply enough power to more than 1.4 million homes but were blocked following a successful legal challenge last July by the wildlife charity RSPB Scotland, which classed the projects as deadly to thousands of protected species of birds including kittiwakes and puffins. The windfarms, all located in the Forth and Tay regions off Scotland's east coast, have a combined generating capacity of almost 2,300 megawatts (MW).
The Court of Session in Edinburgh overruled the previous block last week in support of the Scottish government, which green lit the four projects in 2014. For additional information, see October 14, 2014, article - Scotland Bets Big on Offshore Wind.
The four projects are Neart Na Gaoithe, Inch Cape Offshore, Seagreen Alpha and Seagreen Bravo. Irish renewable energy company Mainstream Renewable Power Limited (Dublin, Ireland), which is behind the most advanced of the projects, the 450-MW Neart Na Gaoithe windfarm, welcomed the court's ruling.
David Sweenie, Mainstream Renewable Power's offshore manager for Scotland, said: "This £2 billion ($2.25 billion) project is capable of supplying all the homes in a city the size of Edinburgh with clean energy. It will create over 500 jobs during construction and over 100 permanent jobs once operational. More than £540 million ($606 million) will be directly invested in Scotland during the construction phase and a further £610 million ($685 million) during the operational phase. As a nationally significant infrastructure project, Neart na Gaoithe will help Scotland and the U.K. meet their climate and energy goals, and develop a world-leading offshore wind sector. Rapid advances in offshore wind technology have enabled us to reduce the number of turbines to be installed from 125 in the original consent application in 2012 to a maximum of 64 turbines today."
Scotland's Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse, said: "The Scottish government remains strongly committed to the development of offshore wind energy, as this key low-carbon technology offers a huge economic opportunity for Scotland. Clearly, protecting Scotland's marine environment is of paramount importance and at the heart of the Scottish government's approach to offshore renewable energy applications, and we are keen to work constructively with the RSPB and renewable energy developers to ensure the sector has a bright future in Scotland."
Stuart Housden, the director of RSPB Scotland, commented: "We are hugely disappointed by today's judgment. Whilst we fully support deployment of renewable energy, this must not be at any cost. Combined, these four huge projects threaten to kill thousands of Scotland's internationally protected seabirds every year, including thousands of puffins, gannets and kittiwakes. These could be amongst the most deadly windfarms for birds anywhere in the world."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
