Wilson has just traveled an hour out to sea from Montrose, Angus, on the east coast of Scotland, with other local, interested parties. There, they saw a technician boarding one of the first turbines to supply power to the mainland. A drone operator on board complained about the conditions making it difficult to fly the machine. “We purposely decided to build it somewhere with wind,” laughed Wilson after landing safely back on shore. The £3bn Seagreen project, a joint venture between SSE Renewables and France’s TotalEnergies, is located 27km (17 miles) off the Angus coast. The first turbine of 114 was connected to the electricity grid in the early hours of Monday. The project promises to generate 1.1 gigawatts of electricity – enough to power about 1 million homes – in its first phase. This is equivalent to around 60% of Scotland’s current offshore wind generation. Its debut provides a rare bright spot for Britain’s energy supply as gas shortages in Europe have threatened to spill over into UK blackouts this winter and even higher bills for consumers. However, the wind farm will not be fully operational until sometime in the first half of next year. “It’s unfortunate that it’s not a short-term solution, but the long-term solution is to develop as much low-carbon generation as we can,” Wilson said. Ultimately, developers hope the site will generate enough renewable electricity to power 1.6 million households. This would theoretically cover two-thirds of Scottish households. However, the electricity produced – which is connected to the grid via a substation near Dundee – will be distributed across Great Britain. The turbines in the massive project have a maximum top height of 187 meters (613 ft), about twice the height of the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben. While floating wind farms are planned to reach the sea, Seagreen will be the deepest fixed-bottom wind farm in the world – its deepest foundation is due to be installed 59 meters below sea level in December. “This is a major project that is very technologically innovative for the renewable energy industry. We are installing a wind farm in a very difficult location with complex, rocky conditions,” said Wilson. The construction includes “suction bucket” technology for the bright yellow jackets or foundations, which were assembled at the nearby port of Nigg. It has been more than a decade since the rights to the seabed were granted by the Crown Estate, which manages the portfolio of royal estates. TotalEnergies has agreed with SSE Renewables to acquire 51% of Seagreen in June 2020. Wilson said the approval process is slow, with floods of data and information needed in the consent process. “That’s a key focus for us going forward – trying to really reduce that time period quite significantly in order to support the acceleration of offshore wind construction in Scotland and the UK.” He adds that the energy security strategy, issued in April, shows that “government agencies are starting to align with that.” Seagreen’s location just south of the oil and gas capital of Aberdeen is symbolic. Local cabbies and hotel owners in Granite City hope a shift to renewable energy can keep the area prosperous in the long run. Subscribe to Business Today Get ready for the business day – we’ll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. SSE Renewables is part of the London-listed SSE Group, which is investing £12.5bn over five years in green projects in its ‘net zero acceleration programme’. SSE chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies has sought to offer a solution to the current energy crisis, accelerated by the war in Ukraine, which has pushed up bills. Over the weekend, he proposed a voluntary scheme through which producers of non-flexible, low-carbon energy such as wind and nuclear could sign contracts to deliver uncompensated output at a fixed price, helping to lower consumer bills . The merits of this solution were highlighted this week when it emerged that Bulb’s collapse could end up costing taxpayers £4bn due to the government’s decision not to compensate. The rising price of natural gas has also sharpened the focus on renewable energy sources. Last week, natural gas for next-day delivery cost £432 per megawatt hour, nine times higher than the £48 MWh agreed in the last round of contract auctions for the difference, according to analysis by climate information website Carbon Brief. Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow climate change and net zero secretary, told the Guardian that rising gas prices were further evidence that the “transition to cheap, clean, domestic power” needed to be accelerated. “But instead, Conservative leadership candidates have turned their backs on wind and solar power, leaving households exposed to higher bills and our country’s energy system insecure,” he said. “This financial illiteracy is just the latest act in 12 years of failed Tory energy policy. Their short-sightedness has been staggering – closing gas storage facilities, failing to insulate homes and blocking faster, cheaper renewables – and households across the country are now paying the price.” For the sake of consumers, government officials will be hoping for more blustery days on Scotland’s coasts.
