Consents quashed for 2.3GW of Scottish offshore wind after RSPB challenge

Wind farms off the Scottish shore totalling 2.3GW have had their planning consents quashed by the Edinburgh Court of Session. RSPB Scotland took the consents to judicial review, arguing that the effects of the wind farms on bird life had ot been properly assessed.

The decision casts further doubt over the future of the of the 450MW Neart na Gaoithe project. The wind farm had won a Contract for Difference guaranteeing it a price of £114.39 for its output but it is now in arbitration after the project counterparty, the Low Carbon Contracts Company, cancelled the agreement. Developer Mainstream Renewable Energy said it “remains committed”

The three other offshore wind farms in the Forth and Tay area whose consents were quashed are Inch Cape (developer SDIC Power), and Seagreen Alpha and Seagreen Bravo (developer SSE/Fluor).

 

Read the judgements here

 

Further reading:

RSPB challenge adds to uncertainty for offshore wind farms seeking a CfD

 

Subscribe to New Power for full analysis, comment, interviews and data in our monthly report, and access to our database, and sign up to our FREE e-newsletter to receive website updates.

Not a subscriber? To see whether you qualify for our next FREE TRIAL, send your name, job title, and telephone number to [email protected]