A consortium of TotalEnergies, Macquarie’s Green Investment Group and Scottish developer RIDG has announced their bid for an offshore wind project in an area west of the Orkney Islands. The 2GW proposal – named the West of Orkney Windfarm –is currently being assessed by the Crown Estate Scotland as part of the ScotWind leasing round.
The consortium has already undertaken site investigations, including birds, marine mammals and near-shore geophysical surveys, and has finalised a grid connection agreement with National Grid that will enable the project to commence generation in 2029.
The bid is the culmination of five years of engagement between the consortium and stakeholders in Caithness and Orkney, which includes Memorandums of Understanding with Orkney Harbour Authority and Scrabster Harbour Trust to enhance port infrastructure and position the area competitively to support offshore wind projects in the future. An exclusive Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed with the European Marine Energy Centre on Orkney (EMEC), formalising a long-standing relationship in technical innovation and environmental data collection, building on EMEC’s marine energy research and development facilities and expertise.