Mainstream Renewable Power has received consent from the Scottish Ministers to build and operate its 450MW Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm in the Outer Forth Estuary in the North Sea.
NnG represents a capital expenditure investment of around £1.5 billion. The wind farm will consist of up to 75 wind turbines and will occupy an area of approximately 80 square kilometres. At its closest point to land it lies over 15 kilometres off the Fife coast in water depths of 45-55 metres. The subsea cable transmitting the wind farm’s power will come ashore at Thorntonloch Beach in East Lothian from where its underground cable will travel along a 12.5 kilometre route to a substation located within the Crystal Rig onshore wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills. Grid connection will occur in December 2016. Mainstream has selected preferred Balance of Plant contractors GeoSea and a STDL/Prysmian consortium. GeoSea will design, supply and install the wind turbine foundations as well as installing the wind turbines and the offshore substation. The STDL/Prysmian consortium will design, supply and install the electrical works. The wind farm is expected to start pre-construction activities next year and begin generating electricity by 2018.