GIG, TotalEnergies consortium to build 2GW Orkney wind farm

Scotland's offshore wind capacity could see a major boost as a consortium of energy companies unveils a plan to build a 2GW wind farm 30km from the Orkney coast.

The Green Investment Group (GIG) operates a nearly 50% stake in the £4 billion (€4.78 billion) venture, with other major shareholders being French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies and Scottish developer RIDG, which could start producing renewable energy by 2030.

Read more: British consortium explores Orkney hydrogen hub

The project will also tap into a £140 million investment to aid in the development of local ports and harbour infrastructure on the Orkney Isles and the town of Caithness on the mainland as part of plans to bolster local renewable energy supply chains.

The forms part of a larger series of 17 projects selected by the Scottish Crown Estate totalling nearly 25GW of capacity, including projects gifted to other oil and gas titans such as Shell and bp.

The teams report that extensive research has been done for the local area to ensure the new farm helps meet local sustainability targets. The consortium also claims to have come to an agreement with the National Grid to ensure the electricity generated is connected to the British energy grid.

It could also secure a connection to the Flotta Hydrogen Hub, a proposed multibillion-pound green hydrogen production facility in Orkney.

TotalEnergies' CEO Patrick Pouyanné claims this is the company's largest renewable energy project to date. As an oil and gas giant, it already has several fossil fuel projects in Scotland, which contains a wealth of the UK's oil reserves, while also controlling several smaller renewables hubs.

"We will provide all our resources from our new UK Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen, which will draw on the expertise and supply chain of our oil and gas activities and Scottish industry, all in close collaboration with the local communities", he said in a statement.

This marks the fourth major windfarm TotalEnergies has invested in since the start of 2020, with a planned capacity of around 5GW.

Mark Dooley, the global head for GIG, who has long been a major investor in the Scottish energy market, said: "We believe this option agreement will be truly transformational for the wider Scottish economy, unlocking new ways to accelerate the transition to net-zero and creating hundreds of new jobs. We look forward to working with our stakeholders and all the winning bidders to seize this new opportunity for Scotland.”

The company currently has stakes in over 30 offshore wind projects in Scotland, and claims to be involved in at least half of all the UK's wind projects.

Projects such as this could significantly bolster Scotland's economic capabilities as an energy powerhouse for the UK.

Read more: 2022 – the year of the smart grid

In December 2017, the Scottish government set a goal to generate 50% of its energy from renewable sources, and hopes to have decarbonised most industries by 2050.

This includes investment into both onshore and offshore wind projects, the construction of low-carbon infrastructure and even testing the feasibility of geothermal energy.

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