Thistle Wind Partners has initiated the consenting process for the combined 2GW Ayre and Bowdun offshore wind farms located off the coast of Scotland.
Ayre, a planned 1GW floater situated off the coast of Orkney, and the 1GW Bowdun, which will be a fixed foundation wind farm off the coast of Aberdeen, are both owned by Thistle Wind Partners. These projects are anticipated to play a pivotal role in Scotland's transition to renewable energy, with the capacity to generate electricity sufficient to power approximately 2.4 million households.
In collaboration with marine consultancy and survey company ABPmer, acting on behalf of RPS, Thistle Wind Partners will navigate the consenting process for the wind farms. ABPmer's role will involve providing marine physical process assessments to facilitate the consenting process.
“We are delighted to support Ayre and Bowdun,” expressed ABPmer project director Heidi Roberts. “These projects are expected to make a key contribution to Scotland's renewable energy generation, in support of the Scottish government's target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2045.”
ABPmer brings substantial experience to the project, having conducted Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies for over 30 UK offshore wind projects, including prominent Scottish ventures such as Salamander, MarramWind, Beatrice, Moray East, and Moray West Wind Farms, among others.
Consenting for both wind farms is slated for completion in 2025, with construction earmarked to commence in 2029.