The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Wind turbine project to boost Angus economy
Amajor renewable energy project under way off the Angus coast will help Scotland and the UK reach the goal of creating a net-zero economy.
When Seagreen is complete, the £3 billion venture will be Scotland’s biggest wind farm – generating enough electricity to power 1.3 million homes.
It was 2010 that the company created to support the scheme – Seagreen Wind Energy – was awarded development rights by the Crown Estate.
Following nearly 10 years of development and consenting work, the project secured a 15-year UK Government CFD contract to supply electricity two years ago.
Now, in 2021, work on the joint venture owned by SSE Renewables (49%) and Total (51%) is well under way, with the 114 turbines expected to become operational in 2023.
SSE Renewables – a subsidiary of Perth-based energy group SSE – has become a leading developer and operator of renewable energy.
It currently has an operational offshore wind portfolio consisting of two UK offshore joint venture sites – Beatrice and Greater Gabbard, both of which the company operates on behalf of asset partners.
Seagreen is widely viewed as a positive step in
Scotland’s recovery from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The development will provide an economic boost to Scotland and the wider UK with hundreds of local jobs created during the construction phase and throughout its operational life.
The 10MW turbines will be supplied by MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, with blades to be manufactured in the Isle of Wight and service operations based in Scotland.
Seaway 7 will create up to 50 jobs at its Aberdeen office as a result of being awarded the contract to install the turbine foundations and interarray cables.
This builds on Seagreen’s existing commitment to maximising content in Scotland, with Aberdeen’s Petrofac building the onshore and offshore substations and the Port of Montrose chosen as home to the operations and maintenance base for the 25-year life of the offshore wind farm.
The project will create up to 60 jobs based at the port, as well as a further 60 on MHI Vestas’ offshore service operations vessel.
In October last year, Montrose construction company Pert Bruce was chosen to carry out the work – estimated to take a year – on Seagreen’s operations and maintenance base.
The managing director of the company, Craig Bruce, said: “We are delighted to be involved in such an exciting development which will have huge benefits safeguarding 25 to 30 jobs over the year within our business and our wider supply chain.”
More Seagreen work is taking place at Carnoustie.
Last May, a deal was struck which allowed Carnoustie’s famous golf links to be used for the cabling which will connect Seagreen to the national grid.
The underground cables brought ashore via the golf links connect the wind farm to a sub-station at Tealing,
John Hill, SSE Renewables’ project director for Seagreen, said: “As a major infrastructure development, Seagreen brings with it a wealth of opportunity for businesses of all sizes.
“SSE Renewables’ aim is to utilise as many local, Scottish and Uk-based suppliers where reasonably possible during all stages of the development and supply-chain opportunities will exist throughout the construction of the project.
“We’re pleased and proud of the communities that support Seagreen, of which many of our colleagues are part of.
“We look forward to continuing to work with these communities and to provide them with valuable support as we head towards our target of becoming fully operational by 2023.”