SSE Renewables is set to file a scoping report in the coming days for Berwick Bank’s 4.1 gigawatt ‘super project’, which will see up to 307 of the tallest and most powerful turbines in the world – up to ‘at 355 m from sea level at the end of the blades. – built in the Firth of Forth.

Located about 40 kilometers off the coast of Fife and East Lothian, the project will be able to generate enough green energy to power more than five million homes – double the number of homes in Scotland.

It will save around eight million tonnes of climate-warming carbon dioxide each year, equivalent to the total annual emissions from Scottish cars.

The giant network – a merger of earlier Berwick Bank and Marr Bank proposals covering 1,313 square kilometers – is already at an advanced stage of development after 10 years of research and analysis.

Project managers predict that a full planning application will be lodged with the Scottish Government next spring and, if they consent, the wind farm could be operational by 2026.

A connection to the network has already been secured in Branxton, near Torness, in East Lothian.

Alex Meredith, SSE project manager for Berwick Bank, said the project will play a key role in meeting national emission reduction targets and demonstrate the country’s leadership in renewable energy at the upcoming United Nations summit on climate in Glasgow.

“COP26 is a great opportunity for Scotland to show the international community the great progress underway in tackling climate change,†he said.

“This is the kind of action that will respond to the words of COP26.

“The Scottish government aims to reach 11 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030.

“Berwick Bank can play a major role in realizing this ambition.

“We need to see this project build.

Berwick Bank is also expected to generate thousands of new green jobs during construction, but Meredith believes this will also have a significant lasting effect on the entire industry in Scotland by helping to build a base of manufacturing and engineering expertise. for future projects.

“Scotland has talked about leadership in the field, but it would really be a world leader,” he said.

“We have all the Scotwind projects that need to come to fruition, but this project could ensure that the supply chain is in place.

“This is a large-scale opportunity to create a strong offshore renewable energy pipeline.

“It’s something we want to see.”

He says extensive surveys and impact assessments have been carried out in recent years, resulting in planning and design adjustments to minimize potential impacts on marine life like seabirds, dolphins and whales.

Scottish Energy and Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson welcomed the plans.

He said: “Decarbonizing our energy demands is an essential part of our just transition to net-zero and our world-leading renewable energy sector will play a critical role in this regard.

“The continued growth of offshore wind over the next decade will be critical to meeting our incredibly ambitious short-term climate goals, and we will need to work innovatively, at a pace and with agility to do so.”

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