The Buchan Offshore Wind project, a floating wind farm proposed 75 km off the coast of Fraserburgh, Scotland, is set to host a second round of local consultations next week. These events aim to gather further feedback as the developer refines its plans for the ambitious renewable energy initiative.
The project envisions deploying up to 70 floating turbines, potentially contributing significantly to Scotland's and the UK's renewable energy goals. If approved, the wind farm could bring substantial economic benefits, including a £1.4 billion investment in Scotland's manufacturing sector and supply chain, creating approximately 2,800 jobs during peak construction and 320 permanent roles throughout its 30-year operational lifespan.
Electricity from the wind farm would be transmitted via an export cable landing south of Rattray Head, with underground cables routing the power to a new substation near Peterhead. The project would connect to the existing SSEN Peterhead substation for integration into the national grid.
Ian Simms, the project's head of consents, emphasized the importance of community input:
“We are now holding a second round of public consultation to update local people and stakeholders on how our proposals have developed and seek their feedback to help us progress our proposals. The information gained will feed into the next phases of design as we seek to finalize our plans and submit our applications for consent to Aberdeenshire Council and the Scottish government next year.”
