Its 2000MW Caledonia offshore wind farm is due to be located in the Moray Firth off north-east Scotland, and serves as an extension to OW’s existing projects there.
Ocean Winds – a joint venture of French utility Engie and Portuguese developer EDP Renewables – was one of many developers to successfully secure seabed leases in Scottish waters in January. Seabed landlord Crown Estate Scotland believes the sites could support up to 24GW of offshore wind capacity.
Caledonia project director Mark Baxter said: “The water is shallow enough to support fixed-foundations, the distance from shore is short enough to support AC instead of DC transmission, yet the wind resource is great enough to deliver high output and therefore low cost power.”
Ocean Winds plans to formally launch a project consultation in the third quarter of 2022, with the publication of its offshore scoping report. The report will outline the windfarm development and undertake the research and consultation for its environmental impact assessment.
With offshore survey campaigns due to start shortly, the Caledonia project team plans to seek permitting approval in 2024.
Ocean Winds believes the project could be commissioned "by the turn of the decade".
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