SSE Renewables opens £2.5bn Beatrice offshore wind farm in Scotland

SSE Renewables has officially opened the £2.5bn Beatrice offshore windfarm situated in the North Sea, 13km off the coast of Caithness in Scotland.

Beatrice is Scotland’s largest offshore windfarm which features 84 turbines. It can generate 588MW clean electricity that is enough to power nearly 450,000 homes in the region.

It was developed by SSE (40%) in partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (35%) and Red Rock Power (25%).

SSE Renewables managing director Jim Smith said: “The UK has the biggest offshore wind industry in the world and this world-class offshore project paves the way for future development in Scotland and the UK to help decarbonise our economy while boosting jobs and growth.

“Most importantly, Beatrice will save around 8m tonnes of harmful carbon emissions over its 25-year lifetime operation, making one of the most significant contributions across the UK in combating climate change and meeting our net zero ambitions.”

Construction of the new windfarm has provided a £2.4bn economic boost to the UK, of which £1bn went directly to Scotland. The project is set to support up to 90 long-term jobs, ranging from offshore technicians to office administrators.

UK government Business Minister Lord Duncan said: “Wind energy provided a record-breaking 17% of the UK’s electricity last year, an increase supported by sustained government investment which is enabling the sector to grow, now contributing £2.4 bn to the UK economy while driving down costs.

“Beatrice will support nearly 400 jobs in Scotland and today’s grand opening reinforces our world-leading credentials in seizing the economic opportunities of the global shift to a greener, cleaner future.”