The onshore consent application for the up to 1 GW Muir Mhòr floating offshore wind farm has been approved by the Aberdeenshire Council in Scotland.
The application covers the floating wind farm’s onshore infrastructure, including underground cabling and a substation.
The wind farm is the first fully floating project from the ScotWind leasing process to achieve onshore planning consent, according to Muir Mhòr Offshore Wind Farm, a joint venture between Fred. Olsen Seawind and Vattenfall.
“Muir Mhòr is leading the way to a clean energy future, becoming the first fully floating offshore wind farm from the 2022 ScotWind leasing round to be granted onshore consent. In doing so, we are supporting the ambitions of governments in Scotland and the UK to be a world leader in floating offshore wind, and a clean energy superpower,” said David Hinshelwood , project director for Muir Mhòr Offshore Wind Farm.
“Our focus is now on gaining approval for our offshore consent application from the Scottish Government, so our project can move ahead and bolster the UK’s energy security.”
A separate offshore consent application covering the project was submitted at the end of last year and is currently being considered by the Scottish government.
If its offshore application is approved, the wind farm is set to start generating renewable power in the early 2030s, bringing economic benefits to Aberdeenshire in the process.
These include the creation of a number of jobs during its construction, operation and maintenance phases, and a supply chain contributing millions of pounds to the region’s economy.
Muir Mhòr , whose name means Great Sea in Gaelic, will be located off the east coast of Scotland, approximately 63 kilometres from the coast of Peterhead.
Once operational, the floating offshore wind farm is planned to generate up to 1 GW of renewable energy, enough to provide electricity for the equivalent of up to 1.2 million homes every year, according to the developer.