Geophysical Survey Set to Begin for ScottishPower Renewables’ MachairWind Offshore Wind Project

A geophysical survey is scheduled to commence this month at the site in Scotland where ScottishPower Renewables plans to build its 2 GW MachairWind offshore wind project.

The geophysical survey will be carried out by Sulmara from the Port of Larne with an earliest commencement date of April 15, according to MachairWind’s latest notice to mariners. The survey is expected to be completed by the end of July 2025.

The MV Mainport Edge will be used to undertake the survey and will deploy both towed and hull-mounted equipment in addition to drop-down cameras across the area. The vessel will use a range of acoustic and sonar sensors to investigate the seafloor and subsurface. These will either be attached to the hull of the survey ship or towed by the vessel for the duration of the geophysical survey.

MachairWind is ScottishPower Renewables’ first fixed-bottom offshore wind farm in Scottish waters. In October 2024, the developer submitted the environmental impact assessment scoping report for the project’s development area to the Scottish government.

The project is located northwest of Islay and west of Colonsay. The wind farm could generate up to 2 GW of renewable energy, enough to power the equivalent of up to two million homes, according to ScottishPower Renewables.