The £2.6bn Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) project has been given the green light for construction by owners SSE (40%), Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) (35%) and SDIC Power (25%) after the project reached Financial Close.
The 588MW, 84 turbine project, situated in the Outer Moray Firth, was consented by the Scottish Government in March 2014 and granted an Investment Contract by the UK Government in May 2014. Siemens is to supply, install and commission 84 wind turbines, each with a 154-meter rotor diameter designed to generate 7MW of power. Furthermore the scope of supply comprises the offshore grid connection to the mainland in consortium with Nexans who will supply the connecting export cables. Siemens will deliver the onshore and offshore substations consisting of two offshore transformer modules (OTM) which are smaller in weight and size and thus saving costs. Work at the operations and maintenance facility in Wick and the transmission works in Moray will commence this year. Offshore construction will begin in 2017. The wind farm is expected to become fully operational in 2019.
