Canada’s Northland Power has unveiled new names, brands, and websites for its two Scottish offshore wind projects.
The two proposed projects, located off the coast of the Outer Hebrides, are named Spiorad na Mara and Havbredey.
Working in partnership with Stornoway-based LOOM Graphics, Northland conducted local research, consultation, and engagement, to ensure the names reflected the rich local folklore and history of the areas in which they are located, the company said.
Both project names and identities have taken their inspiration from Scottish and Nordic folklore, with tales often overlapping with the Western Isles’ strong connection to the Norse Culture, according to the offshore wind developer.
Spiorad na Mara is a Scottish Gaelic name meaning “Spirit of the sea” , while Havbredey is a Norse word meaning “Isles on the edge of the sea” .
“This announcement is an important step forward for the development of the projects and for Northland, as we continue to make progress towards delivering locally produced clean offshore wind energy, which is at the heart of achieving Scotland’s net zero emissions target by 2045,“ said David Povall , Executive Vice President Offshore Wind.
Located approximately five kilometres off the west coast of Lewis at its closest point, Spiorad na Mara (previously known as N4) is a proposed bottom-fixed wind turbine project planned to be operational in 2031.
With a potential capacity of around 840 MW, the wind farm could meet the average annual electricity needs for around 760,000 Scottish homes and save around 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.
Havbredey (previously known as N2) is a proposed floating wind project with a potential capacity of around 1,500 MW, located about 35 kilometres offshore to the northwest of Lewis.
The floating wind farm, which is expected to be operational in 2036, could meet the average annual electricity needs for approximately 1.3 million Scottish homes and save around 2.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.
Northland said it will be prioritising the development of Spiorad na Mara in the immediate short term, utilising the established technology of bottom-fixed wind turbines.
With the project in the early stages of development, there are a number of important activities planned in 2023, said the developer, including a series of public events being held on Lewis during early summer, where local communities and stakeholders can meet with members of the project team to ask questions, provide feedback, and receive the latest information.