Leading renewable energy consultancy and service provider, Natural Power, has been appointed by Buchan Offshore Wind to lead the onshore project development and environmental impact assessment.
The work was awarded as part of a suite of new contracts worth more than £1.5m to a trio of businesses, and Natural Power will deliver in parallel with its ongoing offshore work at the project.
Alison Sidgwick, Director of Onshore Consenting and Environment at Natural Power, said: “Our onshore consenting and environment team is looking forward to working with Buchan Offshore Wind, expanding our scope of work to support the continued development of this exciting project.”
Secured as part of the Scotwind leasing round in early 2022, the 1GW Buchan floating wind scheme will be built in the NE8 lease area which is located approximately 45 miles northeast of Fraserburgh.
Buchan Offshore Wind selected the consultants based on their experience and expertise in offshore wind projects and onshore grid connections, and their strong understanding of the Scottish renewables sector.
Project director, Alasdair MacLeod, said: “The Buchan Offshore Wind project team continues to engage with National Grid’s Holistic Network Design process and is committed to rapidly progressing both onshore and offshore elements of the project.
“All three companies bring significant experience and capability to the project team, and we look forward to working with them all as we take the project through to the next stage of development.”
EIA scoping at the 60-turbine scheme is set to start this summer with the offshore consent submission due in 2025. A full construction programme will then be defined once the project has confirmed its grid connection.
About Buchan Offshore Wind
Buchan Offshore Wind is a joint venture between the global renewable energy business, BayWa r.e.; Elicio, an experienced Belgian offshore wind developer, owner and operator; and BW Ideol, a proven floating technology leader and international floating wind project co-developer.
It brings together three companies with highly significant, relevant and complementary expertise, which has the potential to accelerate the development of floating wind and bring significant levels of employment to Scotland through its commitment to local manufacturing of the wind turbines’ concrete foundations.
