Buchan Offshore Wind has submitted offshore consent applications to Scottish Ministers for its proposed floating wind farm in the North Sea, northeast of Fraserburgh, the project consortium said on Tuesday.
The development, which was awarded a lease through the ScotWind process, is expected to have a capacity of nearly 1 gigawatt and could become operational by 2033. The project plans to install up to 70 floating turbines, with the potential to supply electricity to more than one million homes.
Buchan Offshore Wind is being developed by a consortium of BayWa r.e., Elicio, and BW Ideol. The group estimates the project could contribute over £900 million to Scotland’s manufacturing sector and wider supply chain, supporting approximately 2,900 jobs during peak construction and nearly 300 roles throughout operation.
“Our vision is to develop a world-leading floating offshore windfarm that will deliver large-scale manufacturing in Scotland, support thousands of new jobs, and drive progress towards the UK’s and Scotland’s offshore wind targets,” said project director Clare Lavelle. “Submission of our offshore consent application is a critical milestone in unlocking the significant inward investment this ambitious project will bring.”
The application includes a request for consent under the Electricity Act 1989 and marine licences under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. A planning application for onshore infrastructure, including an underground cable route and a grid connection at the Peterhead substation, is expected to be submitted to Aberdeenshire Council later this year.
BW Ideol’s patented Damping Pool substructure has been selected as the preferred foundation design, with fabrication proposed at the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility on the Moray Firth. The project is also in discussions with ports in north-east Scotland regarding a long-term operations and maintenance base.
