Ocean Winds (OW) has submitted its first planning consent application for onshore works to Aberdeenshire Council for the 2 GW Caledonia offshore wind project in Scotland.
This follows the completion of the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA), which includes detailed studies of both onshore and offshore infrastructure.
The onshore component of the Caledonia project includes a substation and underground cables to transmit power generated by the offshore facility. Aberdeenshire Council has opened a formal public consultation on the application, marking a significant step in the project’s development.
The Caledonia project is OW’s third venture in the Moray Firth area, after the operational Moray East and recently powered Moray West wind farms. If approved, the project will double the offshore wind generation capacity in the region. OW Caledonia project director Mark Baxter emphasized the importance of the project in supporting the UK government’s “Clean Power by 2030” goals, highlighting its low-risk, high-speed development potential in a well-established offshore wind location.
Last month, OW also advanced its international offshore wind portfolio by signing a memorandum of understanding with Brazil’s Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte to enhance Brazil’s offshore wind energy capabilities.