Application for offshore consent for its 450MW Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) development has been lodged with Marine Scotland Licensing Operations Team (MS-LOT)).
The application is now open to consultation until Monday 10 September and paves the way for a potential start of construction in 2015.
The application for a development consisting of 64-125 wind turbines on a 105 sq km site that, at its closest point to land, lies 15km off the Fife coast and in water depths of 45m-55m. The wind farm will deliver 450MW of electricity – enough to power 325,000 homes in a city the size of Edinburgh or up to 3.7% of Scotland’s electricity demand when fully operational.
The Scottish government’s strategic environmental assessment (SEA) earmarked the site as one of only six in the current Scottish territorial waters programme suitable for development. Having secured grid connection in 2010 and an agreement for lease with The Crown Estate in 2011, Mainstream aims to reach financial close in 2013 and be fully operational by the end of 2016.
Mainstream’s offshore chief executive, Andy Kinsella, said: “This is a major milestone in the delivery of this offshore wind farm. With over 7,500MW of offshore wind farms in development in the UK and Germany, this demonstrates Mainstream’s ability in selecting the best sites, developing to a high standard and delivering to challenging milestones.
“This project is of strategic importance to Scotland; not only will it supply a significant percentage of the country’s electricity demand it will also help to deliver Scotland’s and the UK’s renewable energy targets in advance of 2020.”
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