Offshore consent application submitted for Buchan floating windfarm

Buchan Offshore Wind has submitted its offshore consent applications to Scottish Ministers for a proposed floating offshore wind farm 75 km to the northeast of Fraserburgh on the Aberdeenshire coast.

The developer obtained seabed development rights from Crown Estate Scotland through the ScotWind leasing round in 2022. Designed for an expected capacity of nearly 1GW and targeting grid connection by 2033, the project could feature up to 70 turbines and has the potential to supply electricity to over one million homes. Its construction and operation are projected to generate over £900 million in investment for Scotland’s manufacturing sector and supply chain.

The project has chosen BW Ideol’s patented Damping Pool floating substructure as its preferred foundation solution, with BW Ideol working to set up a manufacturing facility at the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility, located on the site of a former oil and gas fabrication yard on the Moray Firth. While the operations base has not yet been finalized, the project team is in discussions with several ports in northeast Scotland to determine the optimal location for its operations and maintenance hub.