Red Rock Power has applied to boost capacity at its Inch Cape offshore wind farm off east Scotland to up to 1GW from 700MW.
The capacity increase can be achieved without raising turbine numbers thanks to “technological advances” that will be available within the existing timescale for construction, the Chinese-owned company told Scottish authorities.
Red Rock’s plan to try and boost capacity was first reported in the latest issue of the subscriber-only newsletter reNEWS.
Several larger turbine models are under consideration, according to new planning documents, to replace the 72 MHI Vestas 9.5MW machines that formed the basis of an unsuccessful bid in last year’s Contracts for Difference auction.
Scottish ministers last year approved up to 72 turbines with rotor diameters of 250 metres and tip heights of 291 metres at the project between 15km and 22km off Angus.
Red Rock said it believes the jump to 1GW will have no additional impacts as laid out in environmental, habitats and appropriate assessment studies already conducted as part of the earlier consent application.
No other changes are being sought.