East of Orkney windfarm developers reveal plans

A proposed floating windfarm of up to 60 turbines to the east of Orkney could power 1.2million homes when fully operational.

The 1GW Ayre Offshore Wind Farm will be located 33km out from the headland of Deerness in an area of seabed covering 201km2.

Thistle Wind Partners (TWP) announced that it is naming its Orkney offshore windfarm after the Point of Ayre headland in Deerness.

TWP anticipates the start of construction to be in 2029 for the first phase of the project (a 98km2 section) and 2031 for the southerly section (an area of 1032km).

The windfarm will be fully commissioned, and will provide energy for an estimated 1.2million households by 2033.

The baseline plan for the site is to build 50-60 turbines that are between 18MW and 25MW in capacity each.

Read more about the project and discover details about the first community engagement event TWP will hold in this week’s The Orcadian.