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SSE to incorporate floating at its 2.3 GW Berwick Bank project

4C Offshore | Bridget Randall-Smith
By: Bridget Randall-Smith 18/09/2020 4C Offshore
SSE is considering incorporating floating turbines for demonstrative purposes at its 2.3 GW Berwick Bank offshore wind farm, formerly known as Seagreen 2, according to newly published Scoping Reports.

The 775 km2 array area is located in the outer Firth of Forth and Firth of Tay, 39.2 km east of the East Lothian coastline. Water depth ranges from 39 to 68 metres (LAT) with an average of 50-60 metres.


This week the offshore and onshore Scoping Reports have been submitted to to Marine Scotland and East Lothian Council outlining  initial plans for the project.


This Scoping Reports provide an overview of existing data relating to the environment, human and biological impacts, and the proposed methods for carrying out further surveys to complete a required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The report invites consultees to comment on its contents and for Scottish Ministers to publish a Scoping Opinion on current plans.


The key components of the Proposed Development are likely to include:

• up to 242 wind wind turbines and foundations with a maximum rotor diameter of 270 metres and up to 310 metre tip height (LAT). Fixed and floating foundations are being considered with floating to be used for demonstrative purposes in deeper water depths within the array;

• up to ten offshore substations and;

• a network of inter-array cabling plus inter-connections between substations (approximately 1,036 km of array cabling); and

• up to ten offshore export cables (800 km total) connecting the offshore substation(s) to the onshore substation. A potential export cable corridor has been identified which will connect to to Thorntonloch or Skateraw, or both.

• A 2.3 GW grid connection point has been confirmed at a new 400kV Branxton substation, south west of Torness Power station.


Survey work for the
Berwick Bank project is ongoing. Geophysical seabed surveys have been completed, aerial surveys are expected to conclude in April 2021 and metocean data collection from a LiDAR and buoys is also ongoing. Over the next year onshore surveys will take place as well as investigations relating to proposed landfall sites and habitat surveys.

SSE aims to submit its consent application in 2021 and to be granted a 50-year permit for the project to allow a significant operational life-span.
Berwick Bank could be operational as soon as 2027.

SSE is also developing the 1.14 GW
Seagreen offshore wind farm (and possible 360 MW extension) due to be commissioned in 2022. The third project within the zone is the Marr Bank offshore wind farm (formerly Seagreen 3) is also in the early planning phase, and SSE aims to make the Scoping Report for Marr Bank  available in Spring 2021.

This story was first reported exclusively for 4C Offshore subscribers. For more information, click here
For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide,
click here.

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