Prince Charles opens Scotland’s biggest ever offshore wind farm
29th July 2019 | Commercial Energy
The world’s fourth-largest wind farm – and Scotland’s biggest – has been officially opened by HRH Prince Charles. The Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm, located 13km off the coast of Caithness, will save around eight million tonnes of carbon emissions over 25 years. The North Sea wind farm, which has been welcomed by environmental groups, was opened by the Duke of Rothesay on Monday.
Beatrice’s 84 turbines will generate 588MW of energy – enough to power 450,000 homes every year, and will play a crucial role in the UK’s efforts to combat climate change over the next 25 years.
Wind farm
The £2.5bn project is the largest ever single private investment in Scotland and was developed by Scottish-headquartered energy firm, SSE Renewables, along with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Red Rock Power Limited. Construction of the wind farm, Scotland’s single largest source of renewable energy has provided a £2.4bn economic boost to the UK, of which £1bn went directly to Scotland.
Jim Smith, managing director of SSE Renewables, said the firm was “incredibly proud” of the new development. “We’re incredibly privileged and honoured to welcome His Royal Highness to Wick today to perform the official opening of Scotland’s largest wind farm, Beatrice,” he said. “Today is about celebrating the hard work, innovation, drive and collaboration of thousands of people from across Scotland, the UK and further afield who all played their part in building Beatrice, which is now Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm and the fourth largest in the world.
“We’re incredibly proud it’s been delivered on time and under budget, even when dealing with the challenges the North Sea and deep waters bring. We’re especially proud of the significant positive impact Beatrice has already made to the communities of Wick and Caithness, and which will last for decades to come.
“The UK has the biggest offshore wind industry in the world and this world-class offshore project paves the way for future development in Scotland and the UK to help decarbonise our economy while boosting jobs and growth. Most importantly, Beatrice will save around 8m tonnes of harmful carbon emissions over its 25-year lifetime operation, making one of the most significant contributions across the UK in combating climate change and meeting our net-zero ambitions.”
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