A ground-breaking development for the UK offshore wind industry has been achieved this month with the first projects being granted consent in the Crown Estate’s Round 3 process, with leading renewable energy consultancy Natural Power working as a lead advisor across all three projects.
The 1,116 MW Moray Offshore Wind Farm has been granted consent with Natural Power providing expert Consent Management and Ecology services to client Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd. (MORL). The offshore wind farm, off the Caithness coast in the outer Moray Firth, Scotland, is the second largest of its kind consented in the UK and marks a critical stage for the industry in developing deeper water wind farms, further from shore.
Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd., a joint venture between EDP Renewables (EDPR UK) and Repsol Nuevas Energias UK, appointed Natural Power as lead ornithology and marine mammal advisors during the scoping, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and post-submission consultation stages of the projects’ development in August 2010.
Dr. Chris Pendlebury, Natural Power’s Lead ornithological advisor on the project, said: “Our experts have worked on this project for four years, utilising their experience and expertise to provide industry leading analysis and advice to our client. It is great to see a project of this scale achieve consent in Scotland.”
Press Release, March 27, 2014; Image: natural power