Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, visited Eyemouth today (Thursday, 24 July) to mark the completion of the nation’s newest offshore wind farm, Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) as it becomes fully operational.
During a tour of NnG’s state-of-the-art operations and maintenance base in Eyemouth, the First Minister met with local people working on the project, as well as schoolchildren and community groups already benefiting from the wind farm’s development. The wind farm, located 15.5km off the coast of Fife has 54 wind turbines now generating up to 450 megawatts of clean, green electricity. This is enough to power around 375,000* homes, and will offset over 400,000* tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
Neart na Gaoithe, [translated as “Strength of the wind”], is co-owned by EDF power solutions UK and Ireland and ESB. It has directly contributed around £200 million to the economy through work with local supply chains including more than 50 suppliers based in and around Scotland during the wind farm’s construction.
This includes Forth Ports at the Port of Dundee, Perth-based civil engineering firm I&H Brown, Briggs Marine in Burntisland and Inverkeithing-based Muir Construction Ltd.
The wind farm’s operations and maintenance base, opened in January 2023, is already playing a significant role in the Eyemouth community and will continue to do so for the 25-year lifespan of the wind farm, with 50 high quality jobs required to manage the wind farm.
For the last three years, NnG has supported initiatives across the east coast of Scotland with local sponsorships and grants awarded to over 25 community organisations. This has included the Berwickshire Marine Education Centre and the Anstruther Harbour Festival. A community benefit fund will launch later this summer for the communities closest to the wind farm and its onshore substation.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Offshore wind is one of Scotland’s greatest modern success stories. Seeing NnG up close and hearing about the positive impact it will have on the local area for decades to come, including the creation of around 50 high quality jobs over the next 25 years, showcases the enormous benefits offshore wind will bring to communities across the country.
“Driving economic growth and tackling the climate emergency are two of my government’s priorities, and NnG is a shining example of how these priorities can work hand in hand to reshape Scotland’s future for the better.”
Matthieu Hue, Chief Executive of EDF power solutions UK and Ireland, commented: “The completion of NnG is a fantastic achievement and is the culmination of years of hard work from many colleagues. Seeing the wind farm fully operational is a major milestone as is welcoming First Minister John Swinney here today to see the site up close and hear first-hand about the significant benefits it is already bringing to the local economy and will continue to bring over its 25-year lifespan.
“We have worked closely with our neighbours in the local communities, embedding ourselves in Eyemouth and maximising the benefit for the local economy and I would like to thank everyone for their support.”
Jim Dollard, ESB’s Executive Director Generation and Trading, said: “Marking the completion of NnG is a significant step in ESB’s progress towards net zero. This project will be an important contributor to help deliver a reduction in carbon emissions from UK electricity generation while also supporting the economy of the east coast of Scotland. I would like to acknowledge the work of our partners EDF power solutions UK and Ireland in helping us reach today’s milestone. Through projects like this, ESB has amassed considerable expertise in offshore wind as we partner with leading energy companies in projects of scale as part of our ambition to build a significant offshore footprint across Ireland and Great Britain.”
NnG Project Director, Matthias Haag, said: “Today is a really exciting day as we declare one of Scotland’s largest offshore wind farms fully completed. It’s also testament to the extraordinary skills, tenacity and commitment of our project team and business partners who have successfully navigated many complex technical challenges – often in tough Scottish weather and through a global pandemic – to build this infrastructure project that will power homes and businesses sustainably for decades to come.
“We are proud to have made a significant impact on Scotland’s supply chain, working with local businesses such as Briggs Marine and Muir Construction Ltd. We will continue to play a vital role in supporting grassroots initiatives over the 25-year life span of the project through a community benefit fund launching later in the summer.”
Ends
*Based on the average domestic electricity consumption per home of 3,889 kWh per the energy consumption in the UK (published July 2017) and Renewable-UK offshore wind average load factor at 37.2%.
Notes to Editor:
About Neart na Gaoithe (NnG)
Neart na Gaoithe means ‘strength of the wind’. NnG is a key UK offshore wind farm project and, with up to £1.8billion invested in its infrastructure, will have a major positive impact on the Scottish economy. NnG is located off the east coast of Scotland, 15.5 km off the Fife coast and covers an area of approximately 105 km2. EDF Renewables UK and Ireland acquired NnG in 2018, and in 2019 sold a 50 per cent stake to leading Irish Energy Company, ESB. For more information visit nngoffshorewind.com.
About EDF power solutions UK and Ireland
EDF power solutions UK and Ireland is a subsidiary of the EDF Group, one of the world’s largest low carbon electricity companies. Our goal is to have 10 GW of operational projects by 2035 to support the UK and Ireland in moving to clean power and do whatever we can to ensure communities and businesses enjoy access to a diverse, reliable, and affordable low-carbon energy mix for decades to come.
Previously known as EDF Renewables UK and Ireland, EDF power solutions UK and Ireland has an operating portfolio of 48 renewable energy sites including solar, battery, onshore and offshore wind (together totalling more than 2GW). We are providing much needed affordable, low carbon electricity across the UK and have an expanding portfolio with almost 15GW of projects in planning and development.
In Scotland, EDF power solutions has an experienced team of over 230 people bringing complex development projects to fruition, across onshore and offshore wind. We have an operating portfolio of 11 onshore wind farms consisting of around 530MW with a further 1.5GW in planning and development. This includes our flagship 450MW offshore wind farm Neart Na Gaoithe (NnG) in the Firth of Forth which will become operational this summer.
Find out more at www.edf-re.uk.
About ESB
ESB is involved in six offshore wind projects and 2GW of onshore wind projects in Scotland, as part of its drive for a 5GW renewable electricity portfolio across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain by 2030. Since its foundation almost 100 years ago, ESB has always been fully invested in the lives of the customers and communities we serve. We have set a target to achieve net zero by 2040 and have committed to do this in a way that enables communities and natural habitats to thrive. Our focus is on developing and connecting renewables, building resilient infrastructure and empowering our customers to live healthier, more sustainable lives using clean electricity.