Buckie ceremony sees Ocean Winds new Moray West offshore windfarm switched on to full power
Full power has been switched on at Ocean Winds’ new Moray West offshore windfarm.
The windfarm, located 13 miles off the coast of Buckie, is one of Scotland’s largest offshore windfarms.
It will generate up to 882MW output - enough to power 1.3 million homes - half of Scotland’s households.
Upon full power, Ocean Winds will become the largest offshore wind operator in Scotland, running two windfarms off the north-east coast and with a third in development.
This project alone will create around 1500 jobs during the construction phase. The developer, Ocean Winds, has used more than 80 UK suppliers in the project to date, which has involved installing the biggest turbines yet in British waters, spanning up to 257 metres above sea level.
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray switched on full power.
He said: “It was a huge moment when I switched on full power for the Moray West windfarm.
“Investment like this being made by Ocean Winds is absolutely central to ensuring that Scotland and its workers benefit from the skilled jobs and economic growth that clean energy can bring.
“With Great British energy located in Aberdeen, and billions of pounds of investment on the table, Scotland is at the very heart of the UK Government’s drive to make the UK a clean energy superpower.”
Moray West takes the UK Government a step closer to achieving the 43-50GW offshore wind targets set for 2030, as published in the Clean Power Action Plan - helping deliver on its mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower.
During his visit to Ocean Winds, Mr Murray met staff who have transitioned into renewables after careers in the oil and gas industry and the UK’s armed forces.
After switching on the windfarm to full power, Mr Murray travelled to Aberdeen where he visited Sarens PSG and ETZ Ltd.
Sarens PSG were involved in the construction of the Moray West windfarm, marshalling 62 giant “monopiles” - the wind turbine foundations.
Ten metres in diameter and 84 metres long, the 2,000 tonne monopiles are the largest and heaviest ever to be handled in the United Kingdom.
Mr Murray saw Sarens PSG’s new £1.6 million Aberdeen training facility for wind farm workers.
Touring the Energy Transition Zone, Mr Murray visited the Floating Wind Innovation Centre, the UK’s first dedicated facility of its kind for floating wind technology, run by ORE Catapult.
