Plans submitted to build some of the UK's largest turbines in marine protected area off Scotland's east coast

Plans have been submitted for turbines bigger than the Eiffel Tower to be built in an area with marine protected status off the north east coast.

OceanWinds (OW) has lodged an application for Caledonia, a major 2GW offshore wind farm covering a total of 4,500 sq ft in the Moray Firth.

If approved, the north sea inlet, to the east of Caithness and north of Moray, will see up to 140 new turbines, reaching 355m (1,160ft).

OceanWinds (OW) has lodged an application for Caledonia, a major 2GW offshore wind farm covering a total of 4,500 sq ft in the Moray Firth.

It would also involve a total of four offshore substation platforms and four offshore export cables, which would make landfall at Stake Ness on the Aberdeenshire coast, according to the plans.

The turbines would join three other wind farms in the firth if approved, including OW’s Moray East, which has been operational since 2020, and the under-construction Moray West, which recently installed its final turbine.

The third wind farm is Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited (Bowl), which has 84 turbines and is operated by SSE Renewables.

The Moray Firth has been identified as one of the richest areas of biodiversity in Europe by marine experts, home to more than 17 different species of whale and dolphin, with regular sightings of bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoise, orca and minke whale, with parts of it having been designated as a Marine Protected Area since 2020.

Scientists have warned construction in firth can disorientate these species and disturb them during important breeding and feeding periods.

Dr Kevin Robinson, Director of the Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU) and honorary senior lecturer at the University of Exeter, said: "While the transition to renewable energy is an important long-term project for avoiding the terrible impact of climate change, which also effects these animals too, heavy construction in the Moray Firth can disturb, disorientate or displace these marine mammals

“For minke whales, for example, we know the Moray Firth is an important seasonal feeding ground, and the Southern Trench MPA was recently designated for the very protection of these coastal whales.”

“There are measures that constructors like OceanWinds can and should take to minimise their impact upon these ecologically important whales, and it's important that they work alongside ecologists and marine mammal scientists like ourselves to develop ways to do that.”

Some of these measures include scheduling the most disruptive building works for periods where animals may be largely absent.

Dr Robinson added: “Ongoing research by CRRU continues to demonstrate the special value of the Moray Firth, but much more needs to be done on the policy side of things to impose robust measures to keep the Firth safe."

Ocean Winds was awarded the site in 2022 as part of the Scottish government’s ScotWind process.

Aleks Schmidt-Sweetingham, offshore consent manager, said: “Our consent application is a major milestone and comes after three years of intensive work to survey, research, study and model the natural and human environment of the Moray Firth to produce a high-quality Environmental Impact Assessment Report and I would like to thank everyone who has engaged with us to make this possible.

“The application and the full Environmental Impact Assessment Report, which covers both offshore and onshore, will be available for public consultation when confirmed by the Marine Directorate and advertised in the local and national press.”

Mark Baxter, Caledonia project director, said: “With Caledonia, Ocean Winds is doing more of what we have already successfully achieved, in the same place we have already done it. That makes us one of the lowest risk, most competitive ScotWind projects, capable of delivery in the shortest time.”

The Scottish Government confirmed it has received the Caledonia application.