Global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power has received consent from the Scottish Ministers to build and operate its 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm in the Outer Forth Estuary in the North Sea.

This will be the first large-scale offshore wind farm constructed and operated in Scottish waters to be directly connected to the Scottish electricity system. The 450 MW wind farm will have the capacity to deliver enough power for 325,000 homes and equal to 3.7% of Scotland’s total electricity demand. The wind farm is expected to start pre-construction activities next year and begin generating electricity by 2018.

NnG represents a capital expenditure investment of around £1.5 billion and is on track to be the first offshore wind farm in the UK to attract true non-recourse project finance at the construction stage. It has pre-qualified for the Infrastructure UK Treasury Guarantee and European Investment Bank funding.

The wind farm will consist of up to 75 wind turbines and will occupy an area of approximately 80 square kilometers. At its closest point to land it lies over 15 kilometers off the Fife coast in water depths of 45-55 meters. The subsea cable transmitting the wind farm’s power will come ashore at Thorntonloch Beach in East Lothian from where its underground cable will travel along a 12.5 kilometer route to a substation located within the Crystal Rig onshore wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills. Grid connection will occur in December 2016 and planning permission for the route of the underground cable was received from East Lothian Council in 2013.

NnG will create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs during its construction as well as throughout its operational life. Mainstream has selected preferred Balance of Plant contractors GeoSea and a STDL/Prysmian consortium. GeoSea will design, supply and install the wind turbine foundations as well as installing the wind turbines and the offshore substation. The STDL/Prysmian consortium will design, supply and install the electrical works.

Mainstream Renewable Power’s founder and Chief Executive, Eddie O’Connor said: “This announcement is of particular importance for Scotland because it is the first time a wind farm will be built in Scottish waters with the purpose of supplying Scottish homes and businesses with renewable energy. In fact, it will generate enough green power to supply more than all the homes in Edinburgh.”

Andy Kinsella, Chief Operating Officer for Mainstream Renewable Power said: “We have worked closely with the Scottish Government and its agencies through an exhaustive environmental assessment process, and look forward to continuing our ecological monitoring work with those agencies and other key stakeholders during and after construction.”