Planning application submitted for 2GW Caledonia offshore wind farm in Scotland

Ocean Winds has submitted a planning application to the Scottish government’s Marine Directorate for the 2GW Caledonia offshore wind farm in the outer Moray Firth. 

This milestone follows three years of extensive development work since the site was awarded through the ScotWind process in 2022.

The Caledonia wind farm, located east of the operational Moray East and under-construction Moray West facilities, will more than double Ocean Winds’ generation capacity in the region. Ocean Winds is a 50:50 joint venture between EDP Renewables and Engie.

Covering 423 square kilometres with water depths between 40 and 100 meters, the project could feature up to 140 turbines, each with a maximum capacity of 25MW and a height of 355 meters. The development includes plans for four offshore substation platforms and export cables making landfall at Stake Ness, Aberdeenshire.

Caledonia offshore wind farm consent manager Aleks Schmidt-Sweetingham highlighted the rigorous efforts in surveying and environmental assessments, with the application to be made available for public consultation. 

Project director Mark Baxter emphasized the benefits of established fixed foundation and AC technology, which reduce dependency on delayed DC supply chains.

In August 2024, engineering consultancy Wood Thilsted was tasked with creating the structural design for turbine foundations using comprehensive site data collected over two years.

The Caledonia project represents a major step in Scotland’s renewable energy expansion, leveraging proven technologies and optimizations for cost-effective and timely delivery in the competitive ScotWind environment.