Seagreen Wind Energy – the 50:50 joint venture between SSE and Fluor – is preparing to bid in the next UK government subsidy-auction (CfD) in Spring 2019.
Still un-built, the Seagreen project originally received consent back in 2014 but was stalled as a by-stander in the ultimately unsuccessful legal bid by RSPB Scotland to block a related new offshore N. Sea wind farm by a Republic of Ireland developer.
To be located about 15 miles offshore from the Angus coastline, the Seagreen project has the potential to power up to 670,000 homes.
Since 2014, offshore wind technology has advanced significantly with larger and more efficient turbines able to generate additional power from Scotland’s wind resource. Seagreen is now also seeking changes to its offshore planning consent so it can take advantage of these new innovations in turbine technology and deliver offshore wind power at the better value for money for consumers.
Currently SSE is also involved in the construction of the Beatrice offshore windfarm, of which SSE owns 45%, in the Moray Firth.
Sid Anverali, senior project manager at Seagreen Wind Energy, explained: “The development and construction of Seagreen will seek to recreate the positive impacts expected from Beatrice.
“Seagreen is predicted to bring significant socio-economic benefits to the Scottish economy and local area during construction, including direct impacts on employment with many full-time jobs created in construction and subsequent operation.
“The first step towards creating these benefits is to secure a contract in the Spring 2019 CfD auction to deliver the project in the early to mid-2020s. The Seagreen project team is working hard to develop a competitive bid for the auction and is actively considering supply chain partnerships across all elements of the project.”
28 Jun 2018
Pixie Energy is an incubator and a facilitator of strategic research and project work, focusing on energy regulation, policy and markets at the local and national level. Find out more about Pixie Energy