Beatrice Wind Farm
| Beatrice Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
 5 MW wind turbine under construction for Beatrice at Nigg fabrication yard on the Cromarty Firth | |
  Location of Beatrice Wind Farm in UK Scotland | |
| Location | Moray Firth, North Sea |
| Coordinates | 58°7′48″N 3°4′12″W / 58.13000°N 3.07000°WCoordinates: 58°7′48″N 3°4′12″W / 58.13000°N 3.07000°W |
| Status |
operational (demonstration) proposed (commercial) |
| Commission date | 2007 |
| Owner(s) |
Scottish and Southern Energy Talisman Energy |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 2 × 5 MW (REpower) |
| Nameplate capacity |
10 MW (Evaluation) 920 MW in planning (Site 6, Scottish Territorial Waters) |
The Beatrice Wind Farm is a wind farm close to the Beatrice oil field in the Moray Firth, part of the North Sea off the east coast of Scotland.
Evaluation project
Beatrice Wind Farm Demonstrator Project was a joint venture between Scottish and Southern Energy and Talisman Energy (UK) to build and operate an evaluation wind farm in the deep water close to the Beatrice Oil field in the North Sea.[1] Built in 2007, with 2 turbines and a total capacity of 10 MW, it was designed to examine the feasibility of creating a commercial wind farm in deep water and a reasonable distance from the shore. The jacket foundation design was developed by the Norwegian company OWEC Tower AS,[2] and fabricated in Scotland by Burntisland Fabrications. The site is 22 km from the Scottish coast and in 45m of water. The project was proposed to last 5 years.[3] All the electricity generated is fed to a nearby oil rig.
Scottish territorial waters award
In February 2009, the partnership of SSE Renewables and SeaEnergy Renewables, was awarded exclusivity by The Crown Estate to develop the Beatrice offshore wind farm in the Outer Moray Firth just to the north of the existing 2 demonstrator turbines. The development will cover an approximate area of 131.5 km2, consist of 184 turbines and a total capacity of 920 MW.[4] The project is currently in the planning stage with construction starting in 2014 and fully operational by 2017.[5]
UK government contract
In April 2014, the UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey announced that the Beatrice Wind Farm would be one of eight projects awarded a “contract for difference” to set the price paid for its power for the next 15 years.[6]
See also
- Wind power in Scotland
- Wind power in the United Kingdom
- List of offshore wind farms in the United Kingdom
- Renewable energy in Scotland
