Scotland’s Highland Council has given its backing to the offshore plans of the West of Orkney Windfarm project, being developed by TotalEnergies, Corio Generation, and Renewable Infrastructure Development Group (RIDG) .
The offshore plans contain detailed information on how the proposed wind farm will be built, along with additional environmental information that was submitted last year.
In June 2024, the council approved West of Orkney Windfarm’s onshore application for planning permission in principle, which outlines the underground cables and electrical infrastructure required to connect the project to the national transmission network.
The final decision on the offshore consent will now be made by Scottish Ministers following recommendations by the Marine Directorate Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT) and taking into account comments made by consultees, according to the developer.
“This paves the way to full offshore consent which, if secured, would enable us to enter into a forthcoming UK ‘contract for difference’ auction round – which is a vital step in the advancement of both the project and its supply chain,” said Jack Farnham , West of Orkney Development Manager.
The offshore wind project is being developed around 30 kilometres off the west coast of Orkney and approximately 25 kilometres from the north Sutherland coast.
With an expected capacity of around 2 GW and the first power scheduled by 2030, the wind farm will be capable of powering the equivalent of more than two million homes.