Windfarm consortiums vow to support local communities and jobs

A £140million initiative is set to be unlocked, supporting the development of the local supply chain in Orkney and Caithness after two areas of the seabed to the east and west of Orkney was sold off for the development of offshore wind.

As part of the drive to develop the West of Orkney Windfarm, the £140million will see investment and enhancement of ports and infrastructure, as well as signalling a jobs boost for local people and companies.

Once built, the 2GW windfarm could also deliver renewable power to the Flotta Hydrogen Hub, a proposed large-scale green hydrogen production facility in Orkney.

This project aims to start producing renewable power by 2030.

Mike Hay, director of one of the consortium’s partners, RIDG, said: “It’s fantastic that Crown Estate Scotland share our vision for the West of Orkney Windfarm, a project that has been designed specifically around this location to benefit local communities, transition Scottish workers from oil and gas into renewables, and to act as a catalyst for supply chain growth.”

Meanwhile, Thistle Wind Partners, a consortium of DEME Concessions (Wind) NV, Qair Marine SAS, and Aspiravi International NV, say they envisage their site to the east of Orkney to be developed in two phases.

The floating turbine project is expected to generate 1GW.

Thistle Wind Partners also say they will work “hand-in-hand” with the Scottish Government as well as local communities and businesses to help develop the supply chain and necessary expertise.

The consortium was also successful in another area of the seabed off the east coast.

“This award is a great success for Thistle Wind Partners. Our teams will be fully dedicated to deliver, with the help of local stakeholders, two state of the art innovative projects, thus participating actively to help Scotland reach its ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045,” said Louis Blanchard, President of Qair.