Thurso, Spittal and Bettyhill to host consultation events over 125-turbine offshore wind farm
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Consultation events are being held in Caithness and Sutherland next month over a wind farm off the north coast that will be bigger than Beatrice if it goes ahead.
The proposed West of Orkney wind farm will consist of up to 125 wind turbines on a site around 30km from Orkney and 25km from the north Sutherland coast.
Up to five export cables to Caithness are envisaged, with a grid connection coming ashore at a point to the west of Thurso and continuing to the substation at Spittal.
The development will have an expected capacity of 2GW, with first power scheduled for 2029. The existing 588MW Beatrice wind farm off the east coast of Caithness has 84 turbines.
West of Orkney wind farm is being developed by Offshore Wind Power Limited, which is arranging a series of pre-application public consultation events that will allow local residents to hear more about the project and make comments.
These are scheduled for Spittal village hall on Monday, November 28 (4pm to 8pm), Bettyhill village hall on Tuesday, November 29 (3pm to 7.30pm), and North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso on Wednesday, November 30 (3pm to 7.30pm).
These will follow on from four events at Orkney venues the previous week. Members of the project team will be on hand to answer questions.
The company intends to submit applications for marine licences from Marine Scotland for the construction of the offshore wind farm and associated transmission infrastructure. Marine licence, planning permission and Section 36 consent applications will also be needed to connect the wind farm to Orkney's proposed Flotta Hydrogen Hub.
The company plans to provide over £9 million of direct support for the enhancement of local ports and harbour infrastructure in the north of Scotland.
It has already signed a memorandum of agreement with Scrabster Harbour Trust and has said it is keen to work with the supply chain in the north to maximise opportunities for local businesses.
It was announced in August that West of Orkney wind farm had joined Caithness Chamber of Commerce as a diamond partner, the chamber’s highest level of membership.
Speaking at the time, West of Orkney wind farm development manager Jack Farnham said: “Our membership of the Caithness Chamber of Commerce underlines our commitment to work closely with local businesses and the communities in the north of Scotland to maximise the long-term economic and social benefits this project will bring.
“We have been engaging actively with key local supply chain partners for a number of years and already the project is working closely with contractors across the Highlands and Islands."
Chamber chief executive Trudy Morris said at the time: “We look forward to working closely with Jack and his team over the coming years to help maximise opportunities for the local supply chain and optimise the socio-economic benefits for the region.
“Offshore wind developments such as West of Orkney wind farm will play a key role in helping Scotland and the UK reach their net-zero targets as well as creating a substantial number of jobs, driving investment in skills and infrastructure and delivering sizeable benefits to local communities."
