The Highland Council in Scotland has granted approval for the onshore plans of the 2-GW West of Orkney Windfarm project, a collaborative effort by Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, and Renewable Infrastructure Development Group (RIDG).
The project's onshore application for planning permission in principle, outlining the necessary underground cables and electrical infrastructure for grid connectivity, received the green light from the council's North Planning Applications Committee, announced the developer.
Situated 30 km (18.6 miles) west of Orkney, the wind farm is slated to feature up to 125 turbines on fixed foundations. It envisions cable landfalls on the north Caithness coast, with 25 km of underground cables linking to the project's substation at Spittal in Caithness. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2027, with power generation expected by 2029.
Highlighting the significance of the onshore connection, West of Orkney Windfarm development manager Jack Farnham emphasized, “The onshore connection is a vital component of the offshore windfarm and will enable us to export clean electricity to homes and businesses across the country. The cables to our substation will all be underground and once installed, the land will be reinstated.”
Last year, the West of Orkney Windfarm project achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first initiative from the ScotWind leasing round to submit both its offshore consent application to Scottish ministers and its onshore planning application to the Highland Council. The Scottish government is poised to make the final decision on offshore consent following recommendations by the Marine Directorate Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT), taking into account feedback from statutory consultees.
