Caithness and Sutherland consultations on £4 billion wind farm to be sited 25km offshore
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Local people interested in the proposed £4 billion West of Orkney Windfarm can find out more by attending one of a number of public events in the coming weeks.
In January, a consortium comprising Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, and Scottish offshore wind developer RIDG successfully secured rights in the Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind leasing round to develop a 2GW offshore windfarm around 30km off the west coast of Orkney and around 25km from the Sutherland coast.
Funds for the project will be allocated across a range of initiatives and Scrabster Harbour may eventually benefit from a £9 million package of direct support "for the enhancement of local ports and harbour infrastructure in the north of Scotland".
The developers are now holding a series of pre-application consultation events which will provide an opportunity for local residents to hear more about the project and make comments on the proposals.
Jack Farnham, development manager said: “We’d like to encourage as many people as possible to attend their local event, where they will get a chance to find out more about the proposed West of Orkney Windfarm and to speak with and offer feedback to the development team.
“We have already attended a number of local gatherings in Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney and plan further windfarm-specific events in the months ahead, to ensure we gather as many local opinions as possible. We have also developed a short online community questionnaire as one way for people to express their opinion about the project – whether they attend an event or not."
As part of the wind farm proposal, the developers have designed a supply chain strategy specifically to maximise opportunities for the north of Scotland.
This will be enabled by a £105 million project-level investment initiative that will be enhanced to £140 million by third parties, in advance of a final investment decision in 2026.
The Caithness and Sutherland events will take place at the following locations:
Spittal Village Hall, Spittal. Monday, Nov 28, 4pm - 8pm
Village Hall, Bettyhill. Tuesday, Nov 29, 3pm - 7.30pm
North Coast Visitor Centre, High Street, Thurso. Wednesday, Nov 30, 3pm - 7.30pm
Further details of the proposal and the consultation events can be found at www.westoforkney.com
The virtual exhibition and online questionnaire can be accessed at www.westoforkney.com/communities
Every person who completes a questionnaire will be entered into a monthly prize draw to win a £50 voucher.
