ScotWind offshore wind projects announced

A total of 74 applications were submitted, and 17 have now been offered option agreements which reserve the rights to specific areas of seabed. A total of just under £700m will be paid by the successful applicants in option fees and passed to the Scottish government for public spending.

The area of seabed covered by the projects is just over 7,000km2. A maximum of 8,600km2 was made available through the Scottish government’s Sectoral Marine Plan.

Crown Estate Scotland said that initial indications suggest a multi-billion pound supply chain investment in Scotland, with chief executive Simon Hodge describing the results as a ‘fantastic vote of confidence’ in Scotland’s ability to transform its energy sector and power its future economy with renewable electricity.

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Winning applicants include BP Alternative Energy Investments, SSE Renewables, Shell New Energies, Falck Renewables, DEME and ScottishPower Renewables among others.

SSE Renewables will work with Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corporation and Danish fund management company Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to develop one of the world’s largest floating offshore wind farms off Scotland’s east coast.