Buchan Offshore Wind Submits Onshore Consent Application
Buchan Offshore Wind has submitted an onshore planning application to Aberdeenshire Council.
Following the successful completion of the first two phases of the Strategic Investment Model (SIM), it has been agreed that future efforts around the Scottish offshore wind sector’s infrastructure and supply chain collaboration will be led by two of SOWEC’s core theme subgroups - Supply Chain Development and Industrial Strategy and Investment.
Since its launch in May 2023, the SIM has made a significant impact in developing the potential of the offshore wind sector. The first of its kind, it was an innovative collaborative approach to tackling the challenges of enabling the significant investment required in infrastructure and supply chain capacity at the scale and speed needed to allow Scotland to meet its ambitions.
The first two stages of the SIM saw 37 port and supply chain projects supported to develop investment proposals. Twenty-nine of these projects were identified as being of high or medium relevance to Scottish offshore wind deployment and important to sector growth, receiving collaborative support via the SIM.
A number of the SIM’s priority projects have secured a total of circa £60m of public sector investment which has helped leverage additional private funding. These projects include Kishorn Port, XLCC’s Hunterston HVDC cable factory, Subsea Micropiles, Port of Nigg’s Inner East Quay, and the Scapa Deep Water Quay in Orkney.
The decision was made following an options appraisal on completion of Stages 1 and 2, and discussions between the SIM Working Group and SOWEC.
Gillian Morrison, SIM chair, said: “The SIM brought a new collaborative way of working that was forward thinking and innovative. It reduced barriers to information sharing, supported knowledge transfer and allowed us to develop a shared understanding of supply chain proponents’ needs and ambition on an unprecedented scale.
“It provided a roadmap of the future infrastructure requirements and identified key projects that would be instrumental in delivering these, including several which have now successfully secured significant funding.
“Thank you to everyone involved in the SIM who embraced the process to achieve a level of collaboration that has not been seen in our sector before.”
Claire Mack, SOWEC industry co-chair said: “The SIM has been a significant success. Much of the invaluable work it has delivered from the outset is now aligned with that of two of SOWEC’s subgroups and our new workplans.
“Ensuring our efforts are coordinated is key to driving action forward efficiently and effectively and we are committed to ensuring that the relationships, opportunities and benefits of the SIM continue to be realised through SOWEC’s work.”
SOWEC was established to lead collaboration between the private and public sector to grow Scotland’s offshore wind market.