West Of Orkney Windfarm To Begin Public Consultation Events In Caithness And Orkney

12th November 2022

Local people interested in the proposed West of Orkney Windfarm can find out more by attending one of a number of public events in the coming weeks.

In January, a consortium comprising Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, and Scottish offshore wind developer RIDG successfully secured rights in the Crown Estate Scotland's ScotWind leasing round to develop a 2 GW offshore windfarm around 30km off the west coast of Orkney and around 25km from the Sutherland coast.

The developers are now holding a series of pre-application consultation events which will provide an opportunity for local residents to hear more about the project and make comments on the proposals.

The first event will take place on Tuesday 22nd November at the Orkney Harbour Authority, Kiln Corner, Kirkwall, and the final event will be on Wednesday 30th November at the North Coast Visitor Centre, High Street, Thurso. A full list of events can be viewed below.

Jack Farnham, Development Manager said, "We'd like to encourage as many people as possible to attend their local event, where they will get a chance to find out more about the proposed West of Orkney Windfarm and to speak with and offer feedback to the development team.

"We have already attended a number of local gatherings in Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney and plan further windfarm-specific events in the months ahead, to ensure we gather as many local opinions as possible.

"We have also developed a short online community questionnaire as one way for people to express their opinion about the project - whether they attend an event or not.

"Overall, we're keen to hear from as many different individuals as we can as this will help inform our development plans," Farnham said.

As part of the wind farm proposal, the developers have designed a supply chain strategy specifically to maximise opportunities for the north of Scotland.

This will be enabled by a £105 million project-level investment initiative that will be enhanced to £140 million by third parties, in advance of a final investment decision in 2026.

The events will take place at the following locations:

Tue 22nd Nov, 10am - 2pm
Orkney Harbour Authority, Kiln Corner, Kirkwall

Tue 22nd Nov, 4pm - 8pm
Stromness Community Centre, Church Rd, Stromness

Wed 23rd Nov, 4pm - 8pm
North Walls Community School, Lyness, Hoy

Thu 24th Nov, 3pm - 7.30pm
Pickaquoy Centre, Muddisdale Rd, Kirkwall

Mon 28th Nov, 4pm - 8pm
Spittal Village Hall, Spittal, Caithness

Tue 29th Nov, 3pm - 7.30pm
Village Hall, Bettyhill, Thurso

Wed 30th Nov, 3pm - 7.30pm
North Coast Visitor Centre, High Street, Thurso

The virtual exhibition and online questionnaire can be accessed at www.westoforkney.com/communities

Every person who completes a questionnaire will be entered into a monthly prize draw to win a £50 voucher.

(Contact details provided for the prize draw will only be retained for that purpose and will be deleted after thereafter.)

Further details of the proposal and the consultation events can be found at www.westoforkney.com

About RIDG
RIDG - Renewable Infrastructure Development Group – is an independent, specialised offshore wind project development company with the knowledge and experience to identify and deliver high quality consented assets for strategic partners to build and operate.
RIDG presents a simpler, leaner and more flexible approach to project development, one that draws upon the strengths of both established and emerging suppliers to deliver projects safely, efficiently and cost effectively.

About Corio Generation
Corio Generation is a specialist offshore wind business, dedicated to harnessing renewable energy worldwide. With a unique blend of sector-leading expertise and deep access to long-term capital, we work closely with our partners in the creation and management of projects from origination, development and construction, and into operations.

Our 20+ GW offshore wind development portfolio is one of the largest in the world, spanning established and emerging markets, as well as floating and traditional fixed-bottom technologies. These next generation offshore wind projects will help form the backbone of the net-zero global energy system while meeting the energy needs of communities and corporate offtakers sustainably, reliably, safely and responsibly.

Corio Generation is a Green Investment Group (GIG) portfolio company, operating on a standalone basis. GIG is a specialist green investor within Macquarie Asset Management, part of Macquarie Group.

About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.

PHOTO
l to r Katy Murphy, Jack Farnham, Trudy Morris, Lesley Sinclair, Will Philbedge