SSE has commissioned Scotland’s largest wind farm, Beatrice located in the Moray Firth. Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited (BOWL) hosted HRH, The Prince of Wales (whose Scottish title is The Duke of Rothesay) to open the wind farm from their offices in Wick.
“Congratulations to SSE and the thousands of people who have played their individual part in bringing this monumental project online. Taylor Hopkinson supported SSE as a preferred supplier of project personnel and are very proud to have played a small part in this enormous project.
“We’re delighted to recognise this poignant moment in the history of SSE, Scotland and the whole of the UK Energy industry. These turbines will stand tall and inspire those working on the next round of Offshore Wind projects in Scotland.”
— Donna Ellcock. Director, Offshore Wind Contract at Taylor Hopkinson
Besides being Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, Beatrice is a landmark project on several counts…
- The 84 Siemens Gamesa 7MW turbines make Beatrice the world’s fourth-largest wind farm with an installed capacity of 588MW adding to Scotland’s already impressive capacity.
- The blade tips reach 188m from sea level. and the foundations raise the towers over 56m from the sea bed.
- Beatrice is the world’s fourth-largest offshore wind farm and the largest built on jacket foundations, each weighing 1,000 tonnes.
- The installation is capable of powering 450,000 homes – equivalent to avoiding around eight million tonnes of carbon emissions over its 25-year lifespan.
- Beatrice is expected to support almost 400 jobs, as well as adding £72 million per annum to the economy.
- The £2.5bn development is Scotland’s largest investment in clean energy infrastructure.
Jim Smith, Managing Director of SSE Renewables announced…
“We’re incredibly privileged and honoured to welcome His Royal Highness to Wick today to perform the official opening of Scotland’s largest wind farm, Beatrice.
“Today is about celebrating the hard work, innovation, drive and collaboration of thousands of people from across Scotland, the UK and further afield who all played their part in building Beatrice, which is now Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm and the fourth largest in the world.
“We’re incredibly proud it’s been delivered on time and under budget, even when dealing with the challenges the North Sea and deep waters bring. We’re especially proud of the significant positive impact Beatrice has already made to the communities of Wick and Caithness, and which will last for decades to come.”
— Jim Smith, Managing Director of SSE Renewables
Sources and additional reading
Renews
Beatricewind.com
John O’Groat Journal
Image: BOWL
