Vattenfall is applying to the Scottish Government to extend the operational lease for its 93MW Aberdeen Bay offshore wind farm from 22 to 25 years.
The Swedish renewables operator has logged an application with Marine Scotland.
Project director Kevin Metcalfe said: “If approved by Marine Scotland and Crown Estate Scotland, the longer operating life of the wind farm will deliver a boost to local jobs, businesses and the generation of more fossil free electricity.”
The application aims to bring the operational lease in line with the design-life of wind farm components and safely operate the offshore wind test and demonstration site for an additional three years. extension period excludes the time needed to decommission the wind farm.
Aberdeen Bay, known also as the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC), started operations in 2018 and comprises 11 of what are currently the most powerful turbines in the world.
The £300 million facility comprises two MHI Vestas V164 8.8MW turbines and nine 8.4MW machines with tip heights of 191 metres, supported on suction bucket foundations. The power is transmitted via 66 kilovolt cabling.
Vattenfalll and the EU have also invested €3 million to study the effect of offshore wind farms on dolphins, salmon, sea trout and sea birds.