Wind-farm exclusivity

The Crown Estate has announced that it will be offering exclusivity agreements to companies and consortia for the development of 10 offshore wind-farm sites within Scottish waters.

Among the successful bidders is Airtricity, the renewables division of Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), which has been granted exclusivity to develop offshore wind farms at Beatrice, Bell Rock, Islay and Kintyre, which could have a total capacity of up to 2,700MW.

At Bell Rock, Airtricity and Fluor, the UK division of Fluor Corporation, will work with local authorities, statutory and non-statutory entities and other stakeholders in order to undertake site-specific consultations and environmental-impact assessments before bringing forward a final plan for development of the site.

The proposed wind farm could have a total capacity of up to 700MW from power generated by advanced turbines. The site is 10km from the Angus coastline and covers around 93km².

SSE is in partnership with other specialist developers, including Aberdeen-based SeaEnergy Renewables, which has successfully tendered with RWE Innogy to progress plans for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm in the Outer Tay Estuary.

The successful bid means that RWE Innogy's UK business, npower renewables, and SeaEnergy Renewables can undertake further studies into the feasibility of a 905MW offshore wind farm, 15.5km east off the Angus coastline.

‘We very much look forward to working with the companies on the development of these sites and the realisation of the enormous potential that these sites have to offer,’ said Rob Hastings, director of the Marine Estate at the Crown Estate.