Huge wind farms able to power two million homes approved by Scottish Government

Two major wind farms are to be developed in the Moray Firth as part of a billion-pound project, the Scottish Government has announced.

The North and South Caledonia offshore wind farms have been granted approval, paving the way for up to 140 wind turbines to be built across a vast area of 165 square miles.

The project could generate enough energy to power two million homes once up and running.

It is being led by Ocean Wind, which has committed around £1.7bn, creating jobs across engineering, manufacturing, ports and vessels.

According to First Minister John Swinney, the plans have been given “very careful consideration”.

Ocean Wind has been tasked with preparing a detailed seabird compensation plan outlining how adverse impacts on seabirds will be compensated for.

The plans will need to be approved before the plans can proceed.

Caledonia North is a fixed-bottom offshore wind farm located in the outer Moray Firth, approximately 17 miles from the Wick coastline and 30 miles from the Banff coastline.

The farm would have 77 wind turbines with a generating capacity of one gigawatt.

Caledonia South will be mixed with both fixed-bottom and floating wind turbines.

The farm will be located 28 miles from Wick and 22 miles from Banff, with 78 turbines of which no more than 39 will be floating.

Swinney said: “This consent decision is a significant step in Scotland’s progress towards tackling climate change and reaching net zero, which is a key priority for the Scottish Government.

“It is also an important decision for Scotland’s renewables sector. This investment will be built upon further through the delivery of Scotland’s significant future pipeline of offshore wind projects.

“We will continue to work closely with the developer and key stakeholders, including those working in fishing and conservation to minimise impacts on the marine environment and other marine users, balancing the needs of people and nature.”