Mainstream Renewable Power has welcomed today’s decision (Wednesday, 19 July 2017) by the Court of Session in a long-running judicial review brought by the RSPB of a planning decision by Scottish Ministers. The decision clears the way to proceed with the 450MW Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm.
The Inner House of the Court of Session has now refused the RSPB’s application to appeal the Court’s earlier decision to the Supreme Court.
Andy Kinsella, Chief Operating Officer, Mainstream Renewable Power said; “After more than two years and two court hearings, we hope that the RSPB acknowledges a fair hearing and allows us to get on with delivering the very significant benefits this project brings to the Scottish economy and its environment.
“Once constructed this £2bn project will be capable of supplying 325,000 homes – a city the size of Edinburgh – with clean energy.
“It will create more than 500 direct jobs during construction and over 100 direct permanent jobs once operational. £540 million will be directly invested in Scotland during the construction phase with a further £610m during the operational phase.
“We are delighted with the decision and look forward to working constructively with the RSPB to take the wind farm into construction next year.
“This project was consented by Scottish Ministers in October 2014 on the advice of Scottish Natural Heritage and Marine Scotland. We have been rigorous throughout the project to work with partners and supply chain businesses to find the best possible way to deliver the project and we are looking forward to seeing NnG up and running.
“We have taken advantage of significant advances in the technology to be used allowing the number of turbines to be reduced from the 125 in the original consent application in 2012, to a maximum of 64.
Work is expected to start on the project in 2018.
- NnG will play a key role in delivering the Scottish Government’s target of 100% of Scotland’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020
- Generation from NnG would effectively displace the emission of more than 400,000 tonnes of CO2 per year
- It will help Scotland and the UK meet climate and energy goals, and develop a world-leading offshore wind sector.
- Scottish Ministers consented four wind farms in the Firths of Forth and Tay in October 2014. Subsequent advances in offshore wind turbine technology has drastically reduced the number of turbines that will be deployed. Calculations made using new layout models indicate that there will be far fewer bird collisions than those described in the original planning application, which was approved by the Scottish Government’s statutory environmental advisers.
- The RSPB now has 28 days to decide whether to apply directly to the UK Supreme Court despite today’s ruling.
