Four Scottish Offshore Wind Projects Cleared for Takeoff

The Supreme Court in London has rejected RSPB Scotland’s application for leave to appeal the decision by the Inner House of the Court of Session on its Firths of Forth and Tay offshore wind farm judicial review.

The Supreme Court’s decision to refuse RSPB Scotland’s application to appeal the Scottish Court’s earlier ruling clears the way to proceed with the construction of the 450MW Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm, Mainstream Renewable Power, the owner and developer of the project, said.

“After more than two and a half years, two court hearings and two rejected applications for leave to appeal by RSPB Scotland, we can finally focus on delivering the very significant benefits this project brings to the Scottish economy and its environment,” Andy Kinsella, Chief Executive Officer, Mainstream Renewable Power said.

“Once constructed this £2bn project will be capable of supplying 325,000 homes – a city the size of Edinburgh – with clean energy. A study by the Fraser of Allander Institute shows the project will create 2,000 jobs each year during its four year construction period as well as hundreds of permanent jobs once operational. The project will bring £827 million directly to the Scottish economy over its lifetime.”

The Supreme Court’s decision also creates path for three other large offshore wind projects in the Firths of Forth and Tay – Inch Cape, Seagreen Alpha, and Seagreen Bravo – totalling 1,834MW in capacity.

The Neart na Gaoithe wind farm is the closest to reaching the final investment decision seeing that it is currently the only of the four projects to be awarded a Contract for Difference.

Work is expected to start on the project in 2018, the developer said. The project is scheduled to be delivered by 2021 at a strike price of GBP 114.39/MWh.