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Floating wind farms are being piloted across the globe but Scotland is first to get a working farm of any real size operating, off the choppy coast of Aberdeenshire. The First Minister will open it if she’s not throwing up over the side of the launch at the time.
The well-named Hywind farm will generate enough energy for around 20 000 homes and sits in deep water about just over 15 miles out so not likely to spoil the view from any millionaire’s golf course. This is actually quite a small farm relative to others being built at the moment. See these:
- EDP floating offshore windfarm, Moray coast – 750 000 homes.
- Beatrice, Moray coast, floating offshore windfarm – 450 000 homes,
- 45MWh Neart na Goithe off Fife – 325 000 homes
- 50MWh Kincardineshire floating offshore farm – 500 000 homes.
- Pentland Firth tidal energy plant – 700 000 homes
You’ll remember from previous reports that Scotland has 25% of Europe’s wind energy and probably as much of its tidal energy (West coast of Ireland must have a lot too?). In addition, we have more than our share, I think, of the expertise needed to develop wind-farms on or off-shore. See:
Is Scotland as the ‘Saudi of wind’ concept getting more real? ‘Wind and waves?’ Solar too?
Scotland’s expertise in renewable power generation now worth billions
My preference for opening the floating wind-farm would have been the Duke of Edinburgh. Aberdeenshire is surely in his patch what with his wife’s big house up that way. He might fall overboard at his age? Oh, I suppose we wouldn’t want that to happen would we?
Talking-up Scotland 
Undoubtedly, the west coast of Ireland has tremendous wind, wave and tidal energy potential. Indeed, given Ireland’s lack of the kind of hydrocarbon resources that Scotland has, it would seem that this is an aspect in which the Irish government would invest and promote. I do not know of anything that Ireland has developed in this area – worth investigating.
Going south down the Atlantic coast, clearly, Cornwall has some potential, as will the west coast of France, the north coast of Spain – both of the latter having the notoriously stormy Bay of Biscay – and Portugal. These areas contain ‘small’ states similar in size to Scotland and also areas seeking greater autonomy – Brittany, the Basque provinces of France and Spain, Asturias, Galicia.
This is an area where cutting edge Scottish technology companies could do business. It is likely that being Scottish there is a degree of warmth towards them. Two years ago, passing through the Viscayan town of Eibar I saw in the football stadium (Eibar are in La Liga) behind each goal giant saltires were painted with the legend, in Euskera – ‘Scotland the Brave!’
So, after she has finished her visits to the Arctic and Nordic Councils, the FM should turn to the Atlantic Coast.
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Yes and wouldn’t that be bringing back links from the earliest of times? There’s a book? I’ve just googled and there are many on the theme.
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Picture of the book added above.
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Thanks for researching that, John.
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Pleasure.
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Radio2’s 5pm bulletin . . . “The Worlds First Off Shore Floating Wind Farm Has Been Opened by Scotlands First Minister”. Whilst at the back water of The BBC’s Radio Station in Scotland , no mention of who opened it.
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