Moray West Offshore Wind Farm Project
Following the award of seabed rights from The Crown Estate the development phase for the Moray West offshore wind farm commenced in 2016 with site specific surveys leading to applications for marine and onshore consents. All necessary consents were secured in early 2019.
Following further surveys, design and procurement activity the project will consist of:
- 60 wind turbines each with a generating capacity of 14.7 megawatts (MW) i.e. generating capacity of 882 MW
- Associated substructures and monopile foundations
- Inter-array cables
- Two Offshore Substation Platforms
- Two Offshore export cable circuits
- Onshore cable jointing bays and cabling for two underground circuits from landfall to Whitehillock
- Onshore substation at Whitehillock
- Onshore underground cabling between Whitehillock substation and Blackhillock substation
Exporting the windpower to the National Grid.
The offshore export cable circuits will come ashore to the east of Sandend Bay on the Aberdeenshire Coast, approximately 65 km south of the Moray West Site. The cabling will then run for 31km – taking the generated power to the onshore substation at Whitehillock by the A96 and on to the connection point with the National Grid at the Blackhillock substation outside Keith.
Developing the Moray West wind farm
In order to develop the project, Moray West has secured a government Contract for Difference (CfD) and a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement. Together, these allow progress to finalising all commercial and contract arrangements to ramp up construction activity through 2022 and 2023.
The project is aiming to be fully operational in early 2025 with an operational life of over 25 years.
Pete Geddes
Moray West Wind Farm Project Director
I am delighted to be taking on the Project Director role now that Moray West is in full construction mode. My experience delivering several offshore wind farms through the construction phase gives me the depth of experience to effectively and safely manage the huge complexity across our international supply chain and local installation works. There is a fantastic team working on the project and my role is to get the best from them, provide guidance and support to ensure the intricate four-dimensional jigsaw safely comes together in the right sequence. I also recognise that successful delivery relies on our wide direct and indirect supply chain together with the many other stakeholders across the communities we are working amongst.
I look forward to meeting a broader range of stakeholders as the construction progresses and to leading the delivery of this vital next building block of our green energy infrastructure.
Pete Geddes