Scotland Approves One of the World's Largest Offshore Wind Farms at 4.1GW Capacity

Image: SSE's Beatrice offshore wind farm near the Moray Firth | Credit: SSE

The Scottish Government has officially approved SSE Renewables’ plan to build the Berwick Bank offshore wind farm. This massive 4100 megawatt development could become one of the largest of its kind in Europe.

However, the green light comes with conditions. Before any construction can move forward, the developer must submit a comprehensive seabird compensation plan. The goal is to address and offset the potential negative impacts the project may have on local seabird populations. This detailed plan will still require final sign-off from Scottish Ministers.

The project has faced pushback from environmental groups. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, along with several other conservation organisations, had urged the government to block the proposal entirely. Their concern stems from the location of the wind farm, which sits off the east coast of Scotland in an area known to be critical for seabird breeding and migration.

Despite the controversy, the project’s approval marks a significant step forward in Scotland’s broader renewable energy ambitions. The outcome of the seabird mitigation strategy will now determine whether the development can proceed as planned.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “Ministers have given the Berwick Bank wind farm application extremely careful consideration.

“The decision to grant consent to Berwick Bank is a major step in Scotland’s progress towards achieving net zero and tackling the climate crisis, as well as supporting national energy security and growing our green economy.

“It is also an important decision for Scotland’s renewables sector, and this investment will be further built upon through the delivery of Scotland’s significant future pipeline of offshore wind projects under the ScotWind and the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds.

“We will continue to work closely with the developer and key stakeholders, including those working in fishing and conservation, to minimise the impact of the development on the marine environment and other marine users, and balance the needs of people and nature.”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK government welcomes the decision.

It “puts us within touching distance of our offshore wind targets to deliver clean power by 2030 – boosting our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower,” he said.

“We need to take back control of our energy, and more offshore wind getting the green light marks a huge step forward in Britain’s energy security and getting bills down for good.

“But we know there’s a lot more work to do and we must go further and faster to get us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuels and make working people better off with clean, homegrown, secure power as part of our Plan for Change.”

SSE Renewables managing director Stephen Wheeler said on LinkedIn that the decision is “hugely welcome”.

“This marks the last major consent necessary for this ground-breaking project to move forward.

“I’m very proud we’ve reached this milestone in the project’s development. Our team at SSE Renewables has developed a fantastic project which will boost Scotland’s operational renewable electricity capacity by nearly 25% and that’s down to more than a decade of meticulous development and design work by our team.

“Berwick Bank Wind Farm is a truly consequential project.

“This is a major step forward for Scotland, for the UK, and for the clean energy transition.”

SSE added that delivery of the project will now be subject to securing a contract for new low-carbon offshore wind power under the UK’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, as well as reaching a final investment decision.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said Berwick Bank has the potential to make a significant contribution to the UK government's growth and clean energy missions, creating clean power jobs in Scotland.

"Scotland is at the front of the race to clean energy across the UK, Berwick Bank would be the world's biggest wind farm just off the East Lothian coast, which underlines the massive potential clean energy has to generate jobs, wealth and opportunity for Scottish families,” he said.

"These large-scale renewable energy projects will ensure people in Scotland truly benefit from clean power, lower bills, and good quality job opportunities."