Multi-billion pound investment in new offshore windfarms hailed by north-east MP
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Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid has welcomed the announcements that BP and partner, EnBW, as well as Shell and Scottish Power, have secured offers to develop offshore windfarms.
They will have a combined 7.9 gigawatts, which is enough to power more than nine million homes.
The BP and EnBW bid was successful for the Morven field, approximately 860km2 located around 60km off the coast of Aberdeen.
Shell and ScottishPower have secured joint offers for seabed rights to develop large-scale floating wind farms, through two joint ventures called MarramWind and CampionWind.
Mr Duguid said: "This is fantastic news for the north-east energy production sector and supply chain, who are set to benefit from huge investment from BP, Shell and their partners.
"And, once again, this shows that energy companies like BP and Shell have the skills, technology and capital required to drive the energy transition to net zero, while supporting jobs and growing the economy.
"This is why I believe these companies must be supported to continue developing oil and gas reserves within the UK’s Paris Agreement and COP26 objectives while they also help develop and install renewable and low carbon energy capacity.
"This is not the only economic activity off the coast of Banff and Buchan of course, and I am engaging with the fishing industry to ensure that offshore wind and productive and sustainable fishing can coexist."
