$3.4bn Scottish offshore wind farm begins powering National Grid

Offshore wind production crossed a significant threshold last week as Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm sent power to the National Grid for the first time.

The Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm is worth $3.41bn and is set to have 84 turbines, enough to power 450,000 homes, when the project reaches completion in 2019.

The wind farm is located 8 miles off the coast and sent energy to the UK’s National Grid last week following the successful installation of its first 7MW turbine.

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Project director John Hill said in a statement: “We often talk about key milestones along a project’s journey, and Beatrice has quite a few to date, but to see the first turbine turning in the Moray Firth and to have reached first power safely, ahead of programme and on budget is a fantastic achievement for everyone connected to the project.”

Paul Wheelhouse, Scotland’s Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, said: “This is a very significant step forward and I am delighted to hear that the Beatrice offshore wind farm has generated its first power for the National Grid and has done so ahead of schedule.”

According to CNBC, the Scottish government states that 25% of Europe’s offshore wind resource is based in Scotland, with around 58,000 jobs in the country created by low carbon and renewable energy.