Buchan Offshore Wind backs Cromarty Firth Freeport’s PowerHouse by joining Board

Buchan Offshore Wind Ltd., a global offshore wind consortium and winner of a 1GW ScotWind lease, has joined the board of The PowerHouse, the skills and innovation vehicle of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICF).

Buchan Offshore Wind is a partnership between BayWa r.e., a global renewable energy business with UK offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh; Elicio, an experienced Belgian offshore wind developer, owner and operator; and BW Ideol, a proven floating technology leader and international floating wind project co-developer.

The consortium brings together three highly experienced and complementary leaders with a demonstrated commitment to accelerate the development of locally built floating wind.

Buchan Offshore Wind also has the vision to bring significant levels of employment to Scotland and the Highlands having secured the rights to develop the floating Buchan Offshore Wind Farm, through Crown Estate Scotland’s latest ScotWind leasing round. Located 75km northeast of Fraserburgh, the wind farm will have a capacity of around 1GW, enough to power over 800,000 homes with green, renewable energy.

By joining the PowerHouse board, Buchan Offshore Wind is demonstrating its commitment to delivering skills for people across the region, to ensure they are ready for the opportunities to come, as well as to developing research and technology that will accelerate the floating offshore wind sector.

The Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport will maximise local and Scotland-wide benefits from a massive pipeline of renewable energy projects and skilled jobs, placing the Highlands at the heart of the drive towards net-zero.

Buchan Offshore Wind becomes the second wind consortium to join the board of The PowerHouse in recent weeks, following in the footsteps of Stromar Offshore Wind, the consortium comprising of Renantis, BlueFloat Energy and Ørsted.

Alasdair MacLeod, Project Director for Buchan Offshore Wind said: “At Buchan Offshore Wind, we are passionate about harnessing our combined experience to develop and deliver one of the world’s largest floating offshore wind farms off the northeast coast of Scotland. We see this development as a significant opportunity to maximise the output of clean, green renewable power, while strengthening the Scottish supply chain and supporting organisations, including the recently awarded Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport.

“We believe the Cromarty Firth is perfectly positioned to continue to be a thriving hub for the renewables industry. The Green Freeport status will further the region’s potential, including building a pipeline of sustainable jobs that will benefit not only Scotland, but the UK.”

Bob Buskie, Director of The PowerHouse, speaking on behalf of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, said: “ICF is delighted that Buchan Offshore Wind is supporting the further development of regional skills and expertise by joining the board of The PowerHouse. With the experience that the alliance of BayWa.r.e, BW Ideol and Elicio bring, they will play a crucial role in the development of our plans.”