Onshore plans for the 2GW West of Orkney wind project have been approved by the Highland Council’s North Planning Applications Committee.
The move greenlights an application that will see the construction of underground cables and electrical infrastructure needed to connect the offshore wind farm to the national grid.
Details provided as part of the plan show proposed cable landfalls on the north Caithness coast, a substation at Spittal in Caithness and the underground cables needed to connect it – set to run for around 25km.
It also included numerous environmental assessments based on survey data collected over two years.
In anticipation of the application the developer – consisting of a joint venture between Corio Generation, TotalEnergies and Renewable Infrastructure Development Group (RIDG) – organised 33 public events which saw more than 2,400 residents across Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney attend in a bid to invite local participation and engagement with the proposed design of the project.
West of Orkney wind farm development manager Jack Farnham said regarding the events that: “We would like to thank local residents and community representatives, landowners and businesses across the Highlands for their time and input on our proposals.”
He continued: “Community feedback helped us shape and deliver our application.”
© Supplied by Neil DavidsonFarnham added that positive decision from officers and members meant that the developer would be able to realise “local, regional and national benefits from the West of Orkney wind farm”.
Construction of the project is slated to begin in 2027, with electricity generation expected in 2029 utilising up to 125 turbines on fixed foundations. According to the developer, the West of Orkney wind farm is expected to be able to provide enough renewable energy to power around two million homes upon completion.
The project first began development in 2022 when rights for an area of seabed were secured from the Crown Estate of Scotland during the ScotWind leasing round that year, which stipulated that developers would need to submit plans for an offshore wind farm 30 km west of Orkney and 25 km north of the Sutherland coast.
Notably in 2023, the project was the first ScotWind proposal to simultaneously submit both an offshore consent application to Scottish Ministers and an onshore planning application to the Highland Council.
Despite this, the developer is still awaiting a decision from the Scottish Government on its offshore component.
Farnham underscored the importance of the project’s onshore connection however, noting that it was a “vital component of the offshore wind farm and will enable us to export clean electricity to homes and businesses across the country.”
He concluded by confirming that all cables to the substation would be underground, and that once they were installed the land would be reinstated.
