One of the largest offshore wind farms in the world is set to be built off the coast of East Lothian after being awarded a key UK government contract.
The Berwick Bank wind farm in the outer Firth of Forth will contain up to 307 turbines generating enough electricity to power up to six million homes.
The 4.1 gigawatt development is one of 12 UK offshore wind proposals granted a Contract for Difference which guarantees a minimum price for its electricity.
It will cover the first phase of the windfarm’s development which will deliver about 1.4 gigawatts.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “This is a monumental result that sees the first Scottish offshore wind project since 2022 securing support from our flagship renewables auction, putting us firmly on track to meet our clean power mission and supporting thousands of jobs.
“It also shows the kind of energy system we want to build for Scotland. By agreeing a price for offshore wind that is far lower than the cost of building new gas. Clean power is the right choice to get bills down for good.”
The contracts are seen as an important step in achieving the UK government’s commitment to lower bills by delivering clean power by 2030.
The turbines will be built about 24 miles offshore alongside the existing Seagreen wind farm which began generating in 2022, three years after it was awarded a similar contract.
Seagreen is Scotland’s current largest offshore wind farms with 115 turbines and the capacity to power up to 1.6 million homes.
Cables from Berwick Bank will bring the power ashore to substations at Dunbar in East Lothian and at Blyth in Northumberland.
Developer SSE Renewables estimates its construction will be worth up to £6bn pounds to the UK economy.
It’s the first fixed offshore wind farm to be awarded a contract since 2022.
A contract has also been awarded for the much smaller Pentland floating offshore wind farm off Dounreay.
The government says the contracts it has awarded will deliver enough electricity to power 12 million homes.
It describes that as the single largest procurement of offshore wind energy in British and European history.
Jess Ralston, energy analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: “This is set to be a breakthrough moment in the UK’s energy independence and for stabilising household and industry’s energy bills.
“Every wind turbine we build means we need less gas from abroad as the North Sea continues its inevitable decline, so we’ll be less reliant on the actions of foreign actors like Putin.”
