Port of Nigg in the Cromarty Firth has been conditionally selected by Siemens Gamesa as the planned location for pre-assembly of wind turbines for the Moray West offshore wind farm.
As the preferred bidder for the supply of the offshore wind turbines, the company has signed a conditional agreement with Global Energy Group to use Nigg as the base for installation works.
Subject to award of a Contract for Difference (CfD) in 2022 and financial close, the wind turbine components will be marshalled at Nigg prior to installation and commissioning through 2024.
If successful and converted to a firm order, the agreement to supply Moray West would contribute to the pipeline of offshore wind projects that have used Nigg including Moray East, a project in which Ocean Winds is also the majority stakeholder.
Moray West has a rapid deployment plan, which will mean an almost continuous use of Nigg for pre-assembly and installation campaigns for offshore wind energy projects from 2017 to 2024.
Adam Morrison, project director for Moray West, said: “We are delighted that The Port of Nigg is lined up to host the Moray West turbines, building on the positive track record of this important part of Scottish port infrastructure.
“Moray West expects to be successful in the next round of CfD and is aiming to move rapidly into full construction this year to deliver reliable energy independence at an affordable price.
“The recent success in the ScotWind leasing round means that Ocean Winds will make significant early investments to drive the next steps necessary to build capability and capacity in the Scottish supply chain.”
Tim Cornelius, chief executive of Global Energy Group, stated: “Having successfully supported three previous installation campaigns including Moray East, our team is very much look forward to welcoming the Ocean Winds back to site.
“Our location coupled with existing laydown space and heavy load bearing capacity makes the Port of Nigg the ideal location to deliver large scale storage and marshalling for both fixed and floating offshore wind projects.
“We are committed to further capital investment in the development of the necessary infrastructure, facilities and land around the site to support the future increase in demand we expect to see from leading developers such as Ocean Winds.”
Moray West is expected to enter the next CfD auction that the UK Government has confirmed with be run in early 2022.
The development follows on from the delivery the adjacent Moray East offshore wind farm, which won a CfD in 2017 with a 50% cost reduction compared to CfD awards in 2015, and is currently in final commissioning phase for 100 x 9.5MW wind turbines.
In 2010, development of Zone 1 the Moray Firth commenced when development rights were won in the UK’s third round of offshore wind licensing. The zone was split into two, to enable Moray East to be developed ahead of Moray West, as there were constraints in the west of the zone.
Constraints in the west eased, and development of Moray West commenced in 2016, with planning consents secured from Scottish Government, Moray Council and Aberdeenshire Council in 2018/19.
Ocean Winds is the result of a 50-50 joint venture between EDP Renewables and ENGIE.
It was recently awarded exclusive rights by Crown Estate Scotland to develop a bottom-fixed offshore wind project of around 1 GW in block NE4 of the ScotWind tender, adjacent to the existing Moray East and Moray West seabed lease area.
The Moray West grid connection is for 860MW, with consent for up to 85 turbines. The exact number and model of Siemens Gamesa turbines remains to be determined, but will be between 60 and 65 units.
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