The French and Portuguese owners of the proposed Moray Firth offshore windfarm have won a long-term electricity supply contract in a Brit-Govt. tender.
EDPR and ENGIE have been awarded a 15-year contract for the delivery of 950 MW of offshore wind generation at £57.50/MWh (in real 2012 terms) in the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy auction.
Upon conclusion of the development phase and the selection of all partners and suppliers for the different stages of construction and operation, the Moray Firth project is scheduled to start generating electricity in 2022.
João Manso Neto, EDPR Chief Executive, said: “Our sustained commitment to the UK offshore wind market through Electricity Market Reform and the transition to CfD auctions has enabled dramatic cost reduction from £150/MWh in 2014 to £57.50 /MWh today.
“This auction has demonstrated the real progress in cost reduction and our result shows how affordable offshore wind can be compared to other technologies, including new thermal generation.
“The UK needs more low carbon generating infrastructure to maintain security of supply against an increasingly uncertain future.
Wilfrid Petrie, Chief Executive, ENGIE UK & Ireland, added: “This will be out first offshore wind development in the UK, and complements our growing global offshore wind portfolio with projects in France, Portugal and Belgium.
“Moray East will make a significant contribution towards helping the UK meet its decarbonisation targets and it will also support our ambition for 25% of our global energy portfolio to be renewable by 2020.”
Dan Finch, Managing Director of the Edinburgh-based Moray Offshore Renewables joint venture between EDPR and ENGIE, said: “Moray East also brings major economic opportunities to our supply chain. Innovation and co-operation have enabled the cost reduction which ensured success in this auction.
“Electricity from Moray East will be produced at the lowest cost of any offshore wind farm around the UK, with exceptional benefits to consumers.”
Scottish Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse, MSP, commented: “I warmly welcome news that Edinburgh based EDPR’s 950MW Moray Offshore Wind (East) site, as well as the Grangemouth Renewable Energy Plant, have been awarded contracts for difference (CfD) by the UK Government.
“In producing enough power for almost a million homes at a strike price of just £57.50 per Megawatt Hour, the Moray site compares very favourably indeed with the far higher £92.50 price negotiated by UK ministers recently for the new Hinkley C nuclear plant.”
12 Sept 2017
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