Developers behind a 1,500 megawatt capacity offshore wind farm project off Angus are seeking permissions to revise their multi-billion pound plans.
Seagreen Wind Enery Limited has submitted a new application to Marine Scotland to erect fewer, but larger capacity, turbines within two development zones approximately 27km off the Angus coast between Arbroath and Montrose.
The proposal is now to install a maximum of 120 turbiness across the 391 square kilometre Seagreen Alpha and Seagreen Bravo zones, with the turbines reaching a maximum tip height of 280 metre above low tide.
The move follows hard on the heels of a similar bid by Inch Cape Offshore Limited last month to vary their consents for a £1.2 billion development which will be visible from Arbroath seafront.
The Inch Cape proposal envisages a maximum of 72 turbines within its 150 square kilometre development zone.
Once installed, the Seagreen project is expected to have an operational life of 25 years, with the site leased from Crown Estates for a 50-year period.
The proposed project will be conducted in three phases and will look to fit jacket and monopile structures.
“Seagreen Wind Energy Limited (Seagreen), a joint venture between SSE and Fluor, has submitted a new application to Scottish Ministers seeking consent for revisions to its planned offshore wind farm projects off the Angus coast,” a spokeswoman for Perth-headquartered SSE said.
“The new consent would optimise the design of the projects, allowing Seagreen to take advantage of the developments in wind turbine technology that have occurred since 2014 when consent was originally granted for the Seagreen Alpha and Seagreen Bravo wind farm projects.
“A maximum of 120 turbines would be developed across the Seagreen Alpha and Seagreen Bravo areas with a potential capacity of approximately 1,500MW.
“Work is currently underway to develop a socio-economic impact report.”
Copies of the revised Seagreen application have been lodged at a number of libraries and public building in Dundee and Angus while a consultation on the plan is held.
Submissions on the plans must be made before November 6.
A third major offshore wind array – Neart Na Gaoithe – was consented alongside Seagreen and Inch Cape is under development off the coast of Fife.
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