Boost as Buckie wind farm base gets green light
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PLANS to use Buckie as an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) base for an offshore wind farm have been given the green light.
Moray West Offshore Wind Farm, run by Ocean Winds, has announced that they have received the go-ahead from planners at Moray Council for the base on a brownfield site adjacent to pier 3 Buckie Harbour.
The firm are now clear to begin construction of the1991m2 facility.
Once operational it will act as a base for service technicians to prepare equipment for use on the wind farm and kit up prior to boarding the multicat Crew Transfer Vessels that will be berthed alongside new pontoons in the harbour.
Staff will also be based in the facility to manage the warehouse, health and safety and equipment monitoring of the wind farm. Recruitment for the new O&M base is under way, with around 60 long term roles to be based out of Buckie.
Jamie Dempster, Operations and Maintenance Manager for Moray West, said: “Thanks to the efforts of our team, supporting consultants and wider stakeholders including particularly Moray Council, I am delighted we are through this important milestone.
"Planning permission unlocks the multi million pound investment that Ocean Winds will be making in Buckie to serve the long term operational needs of Moray West and longer term options to support our Caledonia project."
News that the project had been given the thumbs up on the planning front was welcomed by local councillor Sonya Warren.
Councillor Warren described the project as "vital" for the local economy.
She continued: "I'm delighted to hear that the O&M base proposals have been granted planning permission.
"It's great to see Ocean Winds finally making good headway with this vital project for Buckie and Moray as a whole. The regeneration of Buckie harbour has been a major talking point of many over the years.
"This development is the result of many years of hard work by many parties.
"It's exciting to see all the plans turn to reality, the much needed physical changes are becoming quite visible to people now. This brings the realisation that change is happening and there will be good jobs come to Buckie with these developments.
"This huge investment and development which is much-needed in Buckie and it's been a long time coming.
"It would be fantastic if this project could help pull in Just Transition funding to the area, too."
The announcement has also been hailed by Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Karen Adam.
She said: "I am delighted that the Moray West Offshore Wind Farm has been granted planning permission, giving the green light to a project that will bring in huge investment and skilled employment opportunities to Buckie.
"This development marks a big step on Scotland’s path to becoming a net-zero nation, and further showcases how the north-east and Moray are fast becoming the centre for renewable innovation.
“Scotland’s renewables potential is undoubtedly second to none. This announcement will further cement Scotland’s place on the globe as a world leader in renewable energy, particularly as we continue to combat the climate emergency.
“I have been really pleased with how this project is developing, and as the MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, I will continue to do all I can to support more investment initiatives like this that will benefit communities across Moray and the north-east.”
Onshore construction works for the electrical infrastructure to connect the Moray West wind farm commenced in early 2022 with fabrication of the various components under way across the international supply chain. Offshore installation is due to start this summer.
Once completed, the wind farm, which will be located some 22km off the Moray Forth coast, will boast a capacity of 882MW from 60 turbines.
The Caledonia wind farm project lies adjacent to the existing Moray East and Moray West seabed lease area and has a target capacity of 2MW.
