ESB and the University of Highlands and Islands (UHI) Shetland have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) concerning the 500 Stoura floating offshore wind farm in Scotland.
The main areas of focus will be education, data sharing, research, and long-term environmental monitoring. Both organisations are said to be committed to working together to develop the skills required to deliver on the Scottish Government’s climate action targets.
“A central focus of this MOU will be seeking to replicate the enormous success of the Shetland Oil Terminal Environmental Advisory Group (SOTEAG) model in the context of a floating wind farm”, said Cian Desmond , Stoura Project Director at ESB.
“I hope that through collaborating with the leading experts at UHI Sheltand, we can effectively make Stoura a living laboratory which provides training opportunities and nurtures a local floating wind based knowledge economy.”
ESB and UHI Shetland recently had their first collaboration under the MoU with the delivery of a Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) recognised Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) Training course in Scalloway.
The programme aims to promote potential environmental employment avenues within the marine renewable sector and contribute positively to species protection efforts as Scotland develops offshore wind energy.
The availability of Marine Mammal Observers in Shetland will help to ensure that the Stoura floating offshore wind farm is developed in a manner that will minimise the disruption to marine life while also providing local employment opportunities, said ESB.
The Stoura floating offshore wind farm is located off the east coast of Shetland in an area of seabed identified in the Scottish Government’s Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind.
The lease option was awarded to ESB in 2022 by Crown Estate Scotland through the ScotWind process.
The offshore site is located about 40 kilometres from Shetland, where the water depth is between 100 metres and 130 metres.
It is estimated the project will produce up to 500 MW of clean electricity, enough energy to power 350,000 Scottish households.