Construction is slated to begin as early as 2029, with the wind farm delivering its first power by 2033. The export cable will reach land south of Rattray Head, with underground cables connecting to a new substation near the SSEN-operated Peterhead Substation, integrating the energy into the national grid.
Ian Simms, head of consents for the project, stated: “This is our third round of public consultation events, which commenced in 2023 and have enabled us to hear the views of local people across a range of topics including design, interaction with existing uses of the land and sea, and how the local area could benefit from the project. Feedback received has enabled us to progress our plans and has informed our preferred landfall point, the onshore cable route, the onshore substation site, and our planned offshore scheme. In this time our project team has also completed our offshore surveys and submitted both offshore and onshore scoping reports to the Scottish Government and to Aberdeenshire Council. This third round of events will allow us to share our latest proposals prior to us submitting our onshore planning application to Aberdeenshire Council later this year. We are also sharing details of our proposed offshore development, for which an application will be submitted to the Marine Directorate in the summer. We’d be delighted to see as many people as possible attend these events.”
The consultation period runs from May 5 to May 30, 2025, with materials and feedback forms accessible on the project’s website. The developers have incorporated community input since 2023, refining the project’s design and infrastructure plans. The team has completed offshore surveys and submitted scoping reports to the Scottish Government and Aberdeenshire Council, with an onshore planning application planned for later in 2025 and an offshore application to the Marine Directorate in the summer.
Buchan Offshore Wind is actively supporting local communities, partnering with Peterhead FC’s Community Foundation to fund a coach for children’s education and wellbeing programs. The project also sponsors the University of the Highlands and Islands’ STEM program, expanding science and technology education in 31 primary schools in north Aberdeenshire. Additional support includes beach cleaning events, the Best of Buchan Awards, Peterhead Prison Museum, and collaborations with Fraserburgh Harbour and the Port of Peterhead to explore long-term benefits during the project’s 35-year operational phase.
