Offshore windfarm gets the green light

THE Crown Estate has given the long-awaited go-ahead for the construction of a £150 million offshore demonstration windfarm off the coast at Aberdeen.

The 11-turbine windfarm will stretch from Aberdeen to an area off Blackdog at Balmedie on the outskirts of the city.

The demonstration development is being spearheaded by Swedish electricity company Vattenfall and the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG). The first turbines are expected on site within two years.

Morag McCorkindale, chief executive of AREG, said: "This underlines the special role that Aberdeen City and Shire is playing in laying the foundations of our offshore renewables industry and attracting inward investment by virtue of its world-class oil and gas supply chain."