Scotland Approves SSE’s Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm, Set to Be World’s Largest

By Eamon Akil Farhat and William Mathis (Bloomberg) — The Scottish government has given SSE Plc consent to build what would be the world’s biggest offshore wind farm.

The Berwick Bank wind farm, located off the eastern coast of Scotland, is set to provide power to 6 million homes. With a capacity of 4.1 gigawatts, the project has been in development for about a decade, reaching its final major stage before it can participate in government subsidies in the upcoming wind auction starting in August.

This project holds significant importance for the UK’s efforts to almost completely decarbonize the power grid by 2030. However, its construction may lead to additional costs for consumers, potentially exacerbating existing constraints on the nation’s electric grid and prompting further investments to address them.

US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Scotland, during which he expressed his disapproval of offshore wind farms, including those near his golf courses, contrasts with Scotland’s shift towards becoming a global leader in wind energy. While advocating for more expansion in the oil sector, Trump referred to Aberdeen as the “oil capital of Europe.”

The Berwick Bank project is expected to inject £8.3 billion into the UK economy and create 9,300 jobs, with Scotland benefiting from 4,650 of these positions, according to SSE’s statement.

UK-based utility SSE intends to participate in the upcoming government auction to secure subsidies for new renewable energy projects. If successful, the project would be eligible to sell power at fixed prices for a 20-year period, with any subsidies received funded through levies on consumers’ bills.

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