Spittal substation bid gets nod as West of Orkney Windfarm plans take step forward

Onshore connections and plans for a new substation in Caithness that would link to a massive offshore wind farm have been given outline approval by councillors.

The works for the West of Orkney Wind Farm include proposed cable landfalls on the north Caithness coast, a substation at Spittal and 25km of underground cables.

The project to develop 125 turbines on fixed foundations with a blade height of up to 360m is aiming to begin construction in 2027 with the first electricity generated in 2029, subject to permissions.

It is being progressed by a joint venture comprising Corio Generation, TotalEnergies and Renewable Infrastructure Development Group (RIDG).

In 2022 the West of Orkney Windfarm secured the development rights to an area of seabed from Crown Estate Scotland in the ScotWind leasing round to develop an offshore wind farm 30km west of Orkney and 25km north of the Sutherland coast.

Last year, it became the first ScotWind proposal to submit both its offshore consent application to Scottish ministers and its onshore planning application to Highland Council.

On Tuesday, Highland Council’s north planning applications committee approved the onshore plans, meaning the multibillion-pound development now has outline planning consent for that part of the scheme.

Related news:

• Wind farm gives £50,000 for Caithness and Sutherland apprenticeship scheme

• Orkney councillors back offshore wind farm that will bring 'long-term benefits' to far north

• Plans submitted for Caithness onshore works as part of 125-turbine wind farm

It is still awaiting a decision on the offshore consents from the Scottish Government, including applications for consent under the Electricity Act 1989 and marine licence applications under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

Jack Farnham, West of Orkney Windfarm development manager, said: “The onshore connection is a vital component of the offshore wind farm and will enable us to export clean electricity to homes and businesses across the country. The cables to our substation will all be underground and once installed, the land will be reinstated.

“We look forward to continuing close engagement with the Caithness community, Highland Council and all other stakeholders to ensure all aspects of our onshore plans are delivered safely and successfully.”

The developer of the two gigawatt scheme said more than 2400 people across Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney attended a series of public events in advance of the application being submitted.

The West of Orkney Windfarm is planning for 60 per cent of the project to be delivered by UK businesses over its lifetime, with 40 per cent coming from Scotland, and developers say they have an ambition to drive skills development and create opportunities for businesses and organisations in Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney, across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The developer has already supported a number of initiatives in the north of Scotland, including a £1 million research and development programme being led by EMEC in Orkney, a £1.2 million education initiative led by UHI, a £125,000 Fit 4 Renewables scheme led by ORE Catapult and £50,000 to support local apprentices in Caithness and north Sutherland.

Mr Farnham added: “We would like to thank local residents and community representatives, landowners and businesses across the Highlands for their time and input on our proposals.

“Community feedback helped us shape and deliver our application. The officers’ report and members positive decision ensures we can continue to realise the local, regional and national benefits from the West of Orkney Windfarm.”

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