Thistle Wind Partners (TWP), which is developing the 1GW Ayre offshore wind farm off Scotland, announces plans to host a series of events in Caithness to introduce the project to the local community.
Located 33 km to the east of Orkney, the floating wind asset is expected to connect to the electricity transmission network in the Spittal area of Caithness, with the location of this connection to be confirmed by National Grid ESO, this winter.
TWP is a partnership between DEME Concessions, Qair and Aspiravi
TWP’s proposal is to feed energy from the offshore wind farm into the National Grid by running cables to shore at a point in the Sinclair’s Bay area.
These underground cables will connect to a TWP substation.
From here, underground cables will connect to the transmission network at a new substation being developed by SSEN Transmission.
Once consents are achieved, construction of the onshore infrastructure is expected to begin from 2028, with the offshore wind farm going into construction the following year, and first power to the grid expected in the early 2030’s.
TWP is holding a schedule of information events for the local community in Caithness, starting in November, to introduce the project to the local community in advance of formal public consultations, which will then follow in 2024.
Ian Taylor, TWP’s Project Director, said: “We are looking forward to meeting people in the region and introducing the plans for our Ayre Offshore Wind Farm.
“The events will help us to understand the local area better, listen to suggestions and concerns, and make sure our planning is fully informed.
“We are a new developer, and we are new to the region, but we have set firm targets for bringing local Scottish businesses into our supply chain, and we are firmly committed to helping the local economy in Caithness to benefit from the presence of our wind farm in the long term.”