The 1GW Muir Mhòr Offshore Wind Farm is on track to be built in Scottish waters after plans were submitted for approval.
Muir Mhòr Offshore Wind Farm has submitted two key consent applications for consideration by the relevant authorities.
It marks a milestone for the project, which is set to be one of the world’s first commercial-scale floating offshore wind farms. Muir Mhòr is a 50/50 joint venture between Fred. Olsen Seawind and Vattenfall.
It is the first fully floating offshore wind farm from the ScotWind leasing process to reach the point of submitting both offshore and onshore consent applications for determination, following a 12-month period of consultation with local communities and stakeholders most impacted by the development.
Once operational the wind farm will be able to generate up to 1GW of clean power, enough to provide electricity for the equivalent of up to 1.2 million homes every year.
This will in turn make the country’s energy supplies more secure, as well as aiding with the UK Government’s clean power mission.
Project director for the wind farm David Hinshelwood (pictured) said: “The submission of our two consent applications is a hugely significant milestone, not just for our team who have worked so hard to get here, but for Scotland and the rest of the UK as well.
“We have listened closely to those impacted by our development and made adjustments to our applications, taking on board their feedback and the sensitivities they have raised, and trust this is reflected in the planning determinations.
“We are the first fully floating offshore wind farm from the 2022 ScotWind leasing round to reach the point of both offshore and onshore applications.
“In doing so, we are supporting the ambitions of governments in Scotland and the UK to be a world leader in floating offshore wind, and a clean energy superpower.
“Muir Mhòr is on its way to becoming one of the world’s first commercial scale floating offshore wind projects. We are very excited to see what the future holds.”
The wind farm – whose name means ‘Great Sea’ in Gaelic – will be located off the east coast of Scotland, approximately 63km from the coast of Peterhead.
If the consent applications are approved in the next nine to 12 months by the Scottish government and Aberdeenshire Council, Muir Mhòr could start generating clean power in the early 2030s.
The project will create a significant number of jobs during its construction phase and its operation and maintenance phase.
The team behind the project is also committed to building a supply chain that will contribute millions of pounds to the regional and wider Scottish and UK economies.
Around 40 per cent of its total contracted spend to date has been awarded to local suppliers and contractors. In total, around £15.7m in development-related contracts has been awarded throughout the UK, of which £6.31m has gone to Scottish-based suppliers.