Thistle Wind Partners (TWP), a consortium featuring DEME, Qair, and Aspiravi, has officially submitted the onshore scoping report for its 1GW floating Ayre Offshore Wind Farm to The Highland Council in Scotland. This marks the initial step in the consenting process for TWP's two ScotWind projects scheduled for 2024.
Located to the east of Orkney, TWP's Ayre project is poised to make a substantial contribution to the UK and Scottish Government's goals of advancing floating wind capacity. According to Ian Taylor, Project Director at TWP, “This week's submission of the onshore scoping report for the Ayre project is an important first milestone towards the required onshore planning permission for the project.”
The onshore scoping report outlines the necessary infrastructure for the Ayre project and delineates the approach to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Taylor added, “The way we have pulled together in 2023 is breaking new ground for the energy sector and gives us great confidence in the future.”
The Ayre project's grid connection point is set to be in Caithness, near the village of Spittal, with a landfall point at Sinclair's Bay, all connected by underground cables. TWP initiated community engagement in the region in 2023, with Taylor stating, “We have navigated a way through these difficult times in the offshore wind sector thanks to active collaboration with the group of ScotWind developers and government agencies.”
Further community feedback on the substation, landfall, and cables is expected in the second quarter of this year. TWP is optimistic about meeting consenting and engineering milestones for both ScotWind projects in 2024. The offshore scoping report for the Ayre project is scheduled for submission in spring 2024.
Regarding the Bowdun Offshore Wind Farm, a 1GW fixed-foundation project off the Aberdeenshire coast, Taylor mentioned, “Despite the projects facing a series of challenges over the course of 2023, they remain on track.” Onshore and offshore scoping reports for the Bowdun project are set for submission in the summer, with pre-FEEDS (Front-End Engineering Designs) already underway for both projects.
