The Scottish government have granted consent and marine licences for the Berwick Bank wind farm, which will be located approximately 38km off the Scottish Borders coastline at St Abbs.
Once operational, the wind farm will have an estimated capacity of 4.1 gigawatts (GW), which could make it the world's largest offshore wind farm. It could generate enough electricity to power six million homes, and in theory, this is enough to power every household in Scotland around twice over.
To put into perspective the scale of the Berwick Bank wind farm, Hornsea 2 (located in the North Sea off the Yorkshire Coast) is currently the world's largest operational offshore wind farm, with a capacity of 1.32GW. This is set to be dwarfed when the Dogger Bank wind farm (off the North East of England) becomes fully operational, with its three sites generating a total combined capacity of 3.6GW.
SSE Renewables, which is the developer behind the Berwick Bank wind farm, has stated that the project has the potential to deliver significant economic and environmental benefits. This will include £8.3 billion in value to the UK economy and around 9,300 jobs overall, with roughly half of those in Scotland.
Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director of 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."
Prior to Berwick Bank proceeding further, the Scottish Ministers will need to approve a sea bird compensation plan that is currently being developed by SSE Renewables. This plan is required, as the site of the development is also considered a highly important area for wildlife. Therefore, a satisfactory, detailed seabird compensation plan must be outlined, outlining how adverse impacts on seabirds will be compensated for.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes commented on the Berwick Bank wind farm: "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."
