Construction will start soon in Scotland on the 588MW Beatrice Offshore Windfarm, enough to power 450,000 homes. When completed in 2019 there will be 88 turbines, producing close to 7MW each. Total cost will be $3.8 billion.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., we still have no grid-scale offshore wind, because NIMBYs, ponderous regulation and, I think, just a lack of will to get it done. The Block Island Wind Farm off Rhode island is scheduled for completed late this year. However, it’s a wee little 30MW test site. The Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm has been operational since 2006 but is just 7.5MW total and is used to help power a wastewater site. DoE just cut funding for offshore wind in Oregon and Virginia.
Offshore wind is a viable, cost-effective way to product electricity. It’s just absurd the U.S. still has not grid-scale offshore projects, or even plans for building one.
Beatrice will provide lots of jobs and other benefits for Scotland.
Construction at the new £10m operations and maintenance facility in Wick and the transmission works in Moray will commence this year. Offshore construction will begin in 2017 and the wind farm is expected to become fully operational in 2019.
Beatrice is expected to bring a range of socio-economic benefits to the local, regional, Scottish and UK economies during both the construction and operational phases. Expected opportunities include job creation, skills training, investment in Scottish ports and harbours, supply chain opportunities and community benefit funding.
The wind farm is being developed with a tier 1 supply chain comprising Seaway Heavy Lifting, Subsea 7, Nexans and Siemens and is expected to deliver c. £680m into the UK and Scottish economy via employment and supply chain opportunities during the construction phase and c. £400m- £525m during the wind farm’s 25 year operational life.