Ocean Winds, a joint venture between EDP Renewables and ENGIE, has obtained full onshore planning consent for its 2 GW Caledonia offshore wind farm after Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee approved it on 14 May.
The approval includes approximately three kilometers of underground cable infrastructure necessary to connect the project to the national electricity grid.
Planning permission for the onshore substation at Burnside was granted in July 2025. An additional application for the underground cable corridor was required due to a rerouting to connect to the planned SSEN Transmission substation at Greens, according to the developer.
Ocean Winds stated the cable connection will be informed by environmental assessments and consultations with statutory consultees, such as SEPA, Historic Environment Scotland, and NatureScot, and will be installed underground to prevent permanent visual impact.
Onshore construction is expected to commence in 2028.
“We welcome Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to grant consent for this important onshore infrastructure, representing another significant step for the Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm,” said Mark Baxter, Caledonia Project Director.
“The approved cable connection is essential for the project to connect to the electricity transmission network and deliver renewable energy at scale, supporting Scotland’s and the UK’s energy transition goals.”
Ocean Winds secured development rights for Caledonia in 2022 through the Scottish Government’s ScotWind leasing round.
With onshore infrastructure approval in place, Ocean Winds is awaiting a decision from the Scottish Government on offshore consent for the project.
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