Scottish wind is due to experience a significant expansion in their wind development, according to the Scottish Renewables February 2022 report the market could grow by 231% by 2030. One of the primary drivers behind the growth is the 17 offshore wind projects which were released as part of the ScotWind leasing round. In the list below we have identified three wind developers who have profited from the leasing round and those who will be amongst the leaders in Scottish wind development in the coming years.
1) Orsted (Denmark)
In January 2022, the Danish group partnered with Falck Renewables and BlueFloat energy to develop a 1GW floating offshore wind project. The project is located near Caithness and was acquired from the ScotWind leasing round. The wind farm will be Orsted’s first large-scale floating wind farm. The Danish group will be working alongside the Scottish Association for Marine Science to examine the impact of the project on the marine environment. Orsted have also confirmed their majority stake in the 100MW Salamander floating wind project, which will act as a stepping stone before beginning their large-scale construction.
2) EDF Renewables (France)
The French developer of wind, solar, and battery assets is one of the key European players in the development of renewable energy. In March 2022, EDF announced the plans to develop 100MW of Scottish wind in Berwickshire. The 100MW farm will consist of 20 turbines and is a cornerstone project to help Scotland achieve their net-zero by 2045 goal. In addition to the Berwickshire project, the French group are developing a 177MW wind farm near Dufftown and have acquired a 450MW project in the Firth of Forth.
3) Vattenfall (Sweden)
The Swedish developer of wind, solar, and battery projects maintains a strong Scottish presence having developed 4 wind projects in the South of Scotland. Together, these wind farms generate enough electricity to supply 500,000 Scottish homes. Their largest project is the South Kyle wind farm which began construction in 2020, consists of 50 wind turbines, and has an installed capacity of 240MW. In February 2022, Vattenfall announced their plans to expand the South Kyle project by announcing the 119MW South Kyle 2 farm. The wind farm will be located in East Ayrshire which is northwest of the original South Kyle farm.
Image Source Unsplash 16.05.2022
