The Scottish Government has given the green light to SSE Renewables’ 4.1 GW Berwick Bank project, which is expected to become the world’s largest offshore wind farm upon completion.
This is the last major planning hurdle for the Berwick Bank project, which received Section 36 consent for the main offshore array that will be located some 38 km off the East Lothian coast. It also means that SSE Renewables can enter the site into the upcoming Contract for Difference auction, dubbed AR7 – which will ultimately decide whether the project goes ahead.
Of course if all goes well with AR7, Berwick Bank will be an enormous boost to the amount of energy available to the UK grid from offshore wind. That’s because it’ll eclipse all existing offshore wind farms, generating enough electricity to power more than six million homes a year and adding almost 25% to Scotland’s current operational renewable capacity.
SSE Renewables has also been touting the project’s potential for boosting the UK economy, with it claiming that an independent economic assessment suggests the project could inject around £8.3 billion into the UK economy over its lifetime and support some 9,300 direct, indirect and induced jobs at peak construction – roughly half of them in Scotland.
Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director of SSE Renewables, commented, “The Scottish Government’s decision to grant a consent order for Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm is hugely welcome. At over 4 GW of potential capacity, Berwick Bank can play a pivotal role in meeting the mission of Clean Power 2030 for the UK and achieving Scotland’s decarbonisation and climate action goals.
“As the UK’s clean energy champion, SSE now looks forward to the UK Government delivering the most ambitious CfD scheme yet through the upcoming AR7 auction round.
“Berwick Bank has the potential to rapidly scale-up Scotland’s operational renewable energy capacity and can accelerate the delivery of home-grown, affordable and secure clean energy to UK consumers from Scottish offshore wind, helping meet the UK’s clean power ambition by 2030.”
Jane Cooper, RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive, also welcomed the decision by the Scottish Government, adding, “The approval of Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm is a pivotal milestone for Britain’s energy transition. With 307 turbines, this will be one of the world’s largest wind farms, just off the Firth of Forth, bringing with it billions of pounds of new investment to Scotland and UK coastal economies.
“Projects like Berwick Bank, and others coming alongside it, present a real opportunity for the UK to keep growing jobs in the sector and its supply chain. With the successful roll out of offshore wind, we could see jobs in the sector rise from 55,000 today to around 100,000 by 2030. These are high-quality jobs, from engineering and port logistics to service and maintenance, sustaining livelihoods over decades.”
