Latest news with #INTOG
ITV News
31-07-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Plans to build offshore wind farms nearly 40km off the St Abbs coastline have been approved
The Scottish Government has approved plans to build one of the world's biggest offshore wind farms, located nearly 40km off the St Abbs coastline. The Berwick Bank wind farm would have the capacity to power every Scottish household almost twice annually, generating 4.1 gigawatts. It could also generate enough to power around 17% of UK households. A seabird assessment will be made to understand the potential harm to nearby wildlife by developer SSE Renewables, to outline a compensation plan. It'll need to be approved by Scottish Ministers before Berwick Bank goes ahead with the development. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes says the decision "is a major step in Scotland's progress towards achieving net zero and tackling the climate crisis". She said: 'It is also an important decision for Scotland's renewables sector, and this investment will be further built upon through the delivery of Scotland's significant future pipeline of offshore wind projects under the ScotWind and the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds. 'We will continue to work closely with the developer and key stakeholders, including those working in fishing and conservation – to minimise the impact of the development on the marine environment and other marine users – and balance the needs of people and nature.' The decision follows the official opening of the Neart na Gaoithe wind farm development off the Eyemouth coastline. The project, which has 54 wind turbines, was visited by First Minister John Swinney last week after being initially chosen as a renewable energy site in 2008. Ed Miliband, Energy Secretary for the UK Government, said: "We welcome this decision which puts us within touching distance of our offshore wind targets to deliver clean power by 2030 – boosting our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. 'We need to take back control of our energy and more offshore wind getting the green light marks a huge step forward in Britain's energy security and getting bills down for good. 'But we know there's a lot more work to do and we must go further and faster to get us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuels and make working people better off with clean, homegrown, secure power as part of our Plan for Change.' Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: 'Since taking office I have prioritised delivering more clean energy jobs in Scotland. I welcome this decision, which marks a crucial stage in the development of this project. Berwick Bank has the potential to make a huge contribution to the UK Government's growth and clean energy missions and create clean power jobs in Scotland."Scotland is at the front of the race to clean energy across the UK, Berwick Bank would be the world's biggest wind farm just off the East Lothian coast, which underlines the massive potential clean energy has to generate jobs, wealth and opportunity for Scottish families."These large-scale renewable energy projects will ensure people in Scotland truly benefit from clean power, lower bills, and good quality job opportunities."
The Herald Scotland
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scot Gov gives 'UK's largest windfarm' consent following Trump visit
At its full installed capacity, Berwick Bank would become the world's largest offshore wind farm if fully delivered. Developers have said this could generate enough electricity each year to power every household in Scotland around twice over. The news comes after [[Donald Trump]]'s recent four-day trip to Scotland where he repeatedly criticised 'windmills', describing them as 'expensive' and 'ugly' after he previously objected to 11 turbines planned - and eventually constructed - alongside his Aberdeenshire golf course. However, the deputy First Minister has said the government giving the greenlight to projects such as Berwick Bank is "a major step" for Scotland in achieving net zero targets. Berwick Bank site boundary and grid routes (Image: SSE) The project could increase Scotland's current operational renewable electricity capacity by almost 25%, boosting the country's efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045. The UK Government has also welcomed the move which has the potential to inject approximately £8 billion of value into the UK economy and create over 9,000 UK jobs - with around 4,650 of these jobs in Scotland. Consent for the construction and operation of the wind farm is still subject to the developer, SSE Renewables, producing a detailed sea bird compensation plan outlining how adverse impacts on seabirds will be compensated for. This plan will need to be approved by Scottish Ministers ahead of Berwick Bank proceeding. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: 'Ministers have given the Berwick Bank wind farm application extremely careful consideration. 'The decision to grant consent to Berwick Bank is a major step in Scotland's progress towards achieving net zero and tackling the climate crisis, as well as supporting national energy security and growing our green economy. 'It is also an important decision for Scotland's renewables sector, and this investment will be further built upon through the delivery of Scotland's significant future pipeline of offshore wind projects under the ScotWind and the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds. 'We will continue to work closely with the developer and key stakeholders, including those working in fishing and conservation – to minimise the impact of the development on the marine environment and other marine users – and balance the needs of people and nature.' READ MORE: I think Trump may have a point about Scotland's 'windmills' Trump wants Scotland to 'thrive' as he hits out at independence Will Donald Trump impact Scotland's climate action? Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has said he welcomed the move which he said marked a "crucial stage" in the development of the windfarm project. Mr Murray said: 'Since taking office I have prioritised delivering more clean energy jobs in Scotland. "I welcome this decision, which marks a crucial stage in the development of this project. Berwick Bank has the potential to make a huge contribution to the UK Government's growth and clean energy missions and create clean power jobs in Scotland. "Scotland is at the front of the race to clean energy across the UK, Berwick Bank would be the world's biggest wind farm just off the East Lothian coast, which underlines the massive potential clean energy has to generate jobs, wealth and opportunity for Scottish families. "These large-scale renewable energy projects will ensure people in Scotland truly benefit from clean power, lower bills, and good quality job opportunities." Arriving in Scotland on Friday, Mr Trump told Scotland and the rest of the UK to 'stop the windmills' as he said they are 'killing the beauty of your country'. He has been outspoken in his dislike of windfarms, having taken the Scottish Government to court over an offshore wind farm near his Aberdeenshire estate. Mr Trump said Scotland had the 'ugliest windmills I've ever seen', describing them as 'ugly monsters' that were 'destroying the beauty' of the country. Donald Trump has always opposed wind farms in Scotland. (Image: Jane Barlow/ PA Wire) 'Wind is a disaster,' Mr Trump said. 'Wind is the most expensive form of energy. 'When we go to Aberdeen you'll see some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen. 'They're the height of a 50-storey building. 'You could take 1,000 times more energy from a hole in the ground. It's called oil and gas, and you have it in the North Sea. 'You are paying in Scotland, and the UK, and all over place, where they gave them massive subsidies to have these ugly monsters all over the place.' In a press event at his Turnberry resort in Ayrshire over the weekend, Mr Trump said about windfarms: 'It is the worst form of energy, the most expensive form of energy, but windmills should not be allowed.' Welcoming the Scottish Government move, SSE has said Berwick Bank said the decision represents the last major consent necessary for the project to proceed and is the culmination of more than a decade of development work by SSE Renewables on the project's design. Delivery of the project will now be subject to SSE securing a contract for new low-carbon offshore wind power under the UK's Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, as well as reaching a final investment decision. Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director, SSE Renewables said: 'The Scottish Government's decision to grant a consent order for Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm is hugely welcome. At over 4GW of potential capacity, Berwick Bank can play a pivotal role in meeting the mission of Clean Power 2030 for the UK and achieving Scotland's decarbonisation and climate action goals. 'As the UK's clean energy champion, SSE now looks forward to the UK Government delivering the most ambitious CfD scheme yet through the upcoming AR7 auction round. 'Berwick Bank has the potential to rapidly scale-up Scotland's operational renewable energy capacity and can accelerate the delivery of homegrown, affordable and secure clean energy to UK consumers from Scottish offshore wind, helping meet the UK's clean power ambition by 2030.' Out at sea, the offshore wind farm array would comprise up to 307 installed offshore wind turbines across a 1,010 km² marine site. Each turbine would be installed on a fixed bottom foundation.
The National
31-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Green light for one of world's largest wind farms with 307 turbines
Located approximately 38km from the Scottish Borders coastline at St Abbs, Berwick Bank wind farm will have an estimated capacity of 4.1 gigawatts (GW) which, with current technology, could generate enough electricity each year to power every household in Scotland around twice over. A coalition of five charities previously wrote to the First Minister urging him to reject Berwick Bank windfarm, to protect wildlife and progress less damaging offshore projects, warning that the developer's, SSE Renewables, own estimates show it could result in the deaths of tens of thousands of seabirds. READ MORE: Scottish oil and gas firm to shut down with jobs lost and staff 'unpaid since May' In recognition that the site is considered a highly important area for wildlife, the Government has said consent for the construction and operation of the wind farm is subject to SSE Renewables producing a detailed sea bird compensation plan outlining how adverse impacts on seabirds will be compensated for. This plan will need to be approved by Scottish Ministers ahead of Berwick Bank proceeding. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: 'Ministers have given the Berwick Bank wind farm application extremely careful consideration. 'The decision to grant consent to Berwick Bank is a major step in Scotland's progress towards achieving net zero and tackling the climate crisis, as well as supporting national energy security and growing our green economy. 'It is also an important decision for Scotland's renewables sector, and this investment will be further built upon through the delivery of Scotland's significant future pipeline of offshore wind projects under the ScotWind and the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds. 'We will continue to work closely with the developer and key stakeholders, including those working in fishing and conservation – to minimise the impact of the development on the marine environment and other marine users – and balance the needs of people and nature.' Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: 'Since taking office I have prioritised delivering more clean energy jobs in Scotland. I welcome this decision, which marks a crucial stage in the development of this project. "Berwick Bank has the potential to make a huge contribution to the UK Government's growth and clean energy missions and create clean power jobs in Scotland. "Scotland is at the front of the race to clean energy across the UK, Berwick Bank would be the world's biggest wind farm just off the East Lothian coast, which underlines the massive potential clean energy has to generate jobs, wealth and opportunity for Scottish families. "These large-scale renewable energy projects will ensure people in Scotland truly benefit from clean power, lower bills, and good quality job opportunities."
The National
18-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Have your say on plans to expand offshore wind capacity in Scotland
Proposals from the Scottish Government would see the country's offshore wind capacity increase to up to 40 gigawatts (GW) by 2040 – enough to power the equivalent of around 45 million homes a year. Scotland's current offshore wind capacity ambition is between 8 and 11 GW by 2030 and the Scottish Government says the new figure seeks to reaffirm its commitment to growing the sector. Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy Gillian Martin announced the opening of the consultation at the Global Offshore Wind Forum in London on Wednesday. READ MORE: Scotland can 'go beyond mitigating Westminster' with minimum income guarantee Martin said: 'Scotland's offshore wind sector is already creating significant opportunities, delivering jobs and attracting major investment across the country. 'As a result we need to update our ambition for offshore wind to reflect and firmly underline our commitment to economic growth and investment offered by the sector. 'I would urge everyone with an interest in offshore wind to have a say in the consultation.' As well as supporting national climate targets, the increase being consulted upon reflects significant private sector interest in the ScotWind and the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) seabed leasing rounds, the Government said. Ministers said the success of these leasing rounds symbolises "the enormous economic potential of offshore wind" and puts Scotland "at the forefront of development globally". The consultation document says: "We want to see the maximum possible deployment of the Scottish offshore wind project pipeline, whilst balancing the impact on the marine environment and other marine users. READ MORE: LIVE: Fans gather for Kneecap member Mo Chara's court appearance "Now is the right time to highlight key achievements and developments since 2020, and to set out an updated ambition for Scotland alongside our plans to ensure that the benefits of offshore wind will be felt for generations to come." The consultation will run until August 13. To share your views, click here.
Scotsman
21-04-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Scunthorpe cast long shadow over wind plans
The crisis at the British Steel plant may have repercussions for wind power plans north of the border, writes Jeremy Grant Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... At first blush, Scunthorpe may seem unconnected with Scotland. But the two are linked by something unexpected: China. A steel worker at one of the Scunthorpe blast furnaces (Picture: Darren Staples/PA Wire) Ever since the UK Government passed emergency legislation allowing it to seize control of British Steel's plant in the Lincolnshire town after it emerged that its furnaces would soon have to shut, attention has focused on the role of Jingye, the plant's Chinese owner. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Politicians and others have questioned the wisdom of allowing Chinese involvement in the UK's critical energy infrastructure. If the country's sole remaining plant making virgin steel was this close to permanently closing because its Chinese owner wasn't willing to keep it supplied with feedstock, didn't this expose questionable dependency on China? Jeremy Grant is a freelance writer and former Financial Times journalist In Scotland, a related issue looms. Another Chinese company, Mingyang, is one of the country's leading manufacturers of offshore wind turbines. It has seized on the opportunity presented by Scotland's ambitious plan to develop dozens of wind farms in the North Sea known as ScotWind and INTOG. The Guangdong-based company wants to build a turbine blade factory in the Inverness area to supply those wind farms, most of them floating platforms in deep waters. Mingyang's plans – first signalled in a memorandum of understanding signed with the former Conservative government in 2021 – await approval from Westminster. Before Scunthorpe erupted, the decision was a finely balanced one between satisfying security concerns and Labour's desire to secure inward investment in renewable energy, including from China, the world leader in renewables. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The security issue centres on the fact that the operational software embedded in a turbine remains in control of the manufacturer even after it has been installed in a wind farm. Some fear this could be used as a tool of economic coercion by Beijing. A dependency issue arises because Mingyang is the only company that can currently supply floating wind turbines on a scale needed for ScotWind developers' business plans. On a visit to Beijing only weeks before Scunthorpe – the first to China by a UK energy secretary for eight years – Ed Miliband signed a memorandum with Wang Hongzhi, head of China's National Energy Administration, to refresh a ten-year-old bilateral energy partnership. At the time, Miliband said this 'signals a shift in the dial in re-engaging with China'. Yet the Scunthorpe crisis risks throwing this calculus off course. China has already hit back, with its London embassy describing the 'anti-China rhetoric' of some British politicians over Jingye as 'extremely absurd' reflecting their 'arrogance, ignorance and twisted mindset'. This is all playing out as Labour needs investment for its 'Clean Power 2030' goals, and as Starmer and his leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, face an uphill struggle against a resurgent Scottish National Party ahead of Holyrood elections next year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad John Swinney, First Minister, and his deputy Kate Forbes have woven offshore wind in to their speeches to a degree that implies it has become as important to the cause as North Sea oil used to be. Holyrood has earmarked £30 million in taxpayer funding for the Mingyang factory. A Chinese proverb seems fitting, describing how hard choices are often needed in life: 'One cannot have both the fish and the bear paw'.
