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Moray West is a fully consented offshore wind project in Scotland, aiming to fully operate by 2025 at a maximum installed capacity of 860 MW. The project’s operational life is 25 years and will power 640,000 homes.
Where is Moray West Offshore wind farm?
The project is 22 kilometers from the nearest coastline of Scotland.
It is located in the Outer Moray firth, part of Moray Firth — the largest firth in Scotland. Moray Firth is a triangular inlet body of water bordered by the three councils in Northern Scotland.
It is also part of the North Sea, and its coastline reaches up to 800 kilometers, most of which is cliff-type.
The project’s transmission cables will land between Sandend Bay and Redhythe Point on Aberdeenshire’s coast. There the wires will connect to the national grid. About 275 km of inter-array cables will be used for the project.
Who owns Moray West offshore wind farm?
Ocean Winds officially owns the project, which is owned 50:50 by EGIE and EDP Renewables as of January 2020. UAB Ignitis Renewables also owns a minority stake.
The partnership and joint venture between EGIE and EDP Renewables are significant in the energy transition of Scotland and wind energy in the UK. Aside from joining the technical expertise of both companies, the joint venture Ocean Winds as an investment vehicle enables the two companies to bring together their existing offshore portfolio and pipeline.
The combined offshore wind energy of the two companies is 1.5 GW of projects under construction and 4 GW under development. The development pipeline is also set to expand to 5 or 7 GW.
Under the JV, the Moray West project is managed and owned by Moray Offshore Wind Farm West Limited. The crown estate has awarded the seabed rights, and the development began as early as 2016. The JV seeks to take advantage of the next auction round in 2022, so it can obtain a government contract via a possible CFD. Ocean Winds is also considering an alternative route to the energy market aside from CFD.
Moray West initially tried to obtain a CFD in 2019 but failed to secure one. Ocean Winds also has a majority stake of 56.6% in the Moray East Wind farm, which had been fully operational as of April 2022.
The project director of Moray West comes from 15 years of experience in renewables, including offshore tidal energy, with a strong track record in the company as an electrical manager.
How large is the Moray West Offshore Wind Farm project?
The project covers 225 square kilometers in the Outer Moray Firth.
What are the components of the project?
There will be two offshore substations that will connect via two export cables. The electricity will pass through two substations after landfall 65 km south of the project site.
The first will be at the new Whitehillock substation and another at the existing Blackhillock. It will connect to the national grid.
31 km of onshore cabling will connect the two substations to the national grid, plus 65 km of offshore cabling for the export cabling corridor route–a total of 96 km from the offshore substation to the grid.
When is the first power of the Moray West Offshore wind farm project?
The project seeks to become fully operational by late 2024 or 2025. The first power will be in 2024.
Is it a fixed or floating foundation?
The project will utilize fixed monopile seabed foundations.
How much energy will this produce?
The project will generate 860 MW of offshore wind power in the UK.
How many turbines?
The project is planned and consented to use 85 turbines, but new technology will also allow 60 turbines.
Who makes the turbines?
Siemens is the preferred turbine bidder, subject to financial close and CFD in 2022.
What is the turbine model?
The turbine model is not yet determined, but the rotor diameter is limited to only 265 meters high.
How much MW per turbine?
Depending on the technology, the project will have at least 10 MW installed capacity per turbine.