Charles opening £2.5bn Beatrice
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
PRINCE Charles is today officially opening the £2.5 billion Beatrice offshore wind farm in the Moray Firth.
The 84-turbine windfarm is the fourth largest in the world.
Situated eight miles off the Caithness coast, it will generate enough energy to power 450,000 homes in Moray and the Highlands.
To connect the offshore wind farm with the grid on land, power is carried by offshore and onshore cables to the Blackhillock substation near Keith.
Beatrice is the largest private investment project in Scottish history.
It was developed by SSE Renewables (40 per cent), with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (35 per cent) and Red Rock Power Limited (25 per cent).
Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said: "The scale of the Beatrice project is truly staggering: almost twice the investment of the Queensferry Crossing. This is quite simply the most exciting renewable energy development in the UK right now.
"Scotland has a quarter of Europe's offshore wind resource and Beatrice represents one of the first steps in tapping it. As our offshore wind projects continue to build out we'll see the environmental and economic benefits of offshore wind grow across Scotland, with jobs and investment transforming communities, as they already are in Wick.
"With the right support from government, a supply chain which is competitive on price, quality and timescales and the commitment of industry, offshore wind has a bright future in Scotland as we work towards meeting some of the world's most challenging climate change targets and building a smart energy system with renewable energy at its heart."
The prince is visiting the new Beatrice offices at Wick harbour today.
Part of the project saw £20 million spent on rejuvenating the town's harbour front, and saw the renovation of 200-year old buildings designed by Thomas Telford.