Moray EastFirst Power - Moray East Begins Generating
5/06/21, 12:36 PM
Edinburgh 5 June 2021 Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) Ltd has today announced that it has commenced exporting power to the National Grid, for use by homes and industry across the UK.
The windfarm is still under construction, but the engineering methodology used enables power to be exported before all 100 turbines have been installed.
Moray East announced that it exported its first power to the national grid via its new substation south of New Deer in Aberdeenshire on 5th June 2021.
Dan Finch Managing Director of Ocean Winds UK Ltd (who started development of Moray East in 2009) said:
“This is the first output from the first turbines of our first project. Our ambitions in the Moray Firth are very much for the long term. We look forward to completing Moray East to its full 950 MW capacity; to winning the Contract for Difference (CfD) auction which will enable us to construct Moray West, and to competing for ScotWind leases including development in the Moray Firth; all before the end of this year.”
Moray East Project Director Marcel Sunier said:
“Our 950MW windfarm (more than 22km from shore and in water more than 50m deep) marks a key milestone in the global development of the offshore wind industry. Its unique engineering, cutting edge technology and location have reduced the cost of renewable power by two thirds in comparison with most offshore windfarms built to date in the UK.
“First Generation is a long awaited and hard earned milestone for the project. It represents the culmination of more than a decade of effort, when commercial scale offshore generation, in deeper waters, farther from shore was a concept rather than a reality.
“I would like to thank all of those whose tireless effort has brought us safely to this point despite the unprecedented conditions of a pandemic. The dedication and determination of all involved as well as the local support is highly appreciated and allowed to bring this project forward to where we are today. Moray East offers the low-cost, low-carbon power which will be essential to fuelling economic recovery from Covid and for a sustainable future for all of us and generations to come.”
Notes To Editors
Photos of Moray East Windfarm Available At
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-7IWxHsyPZ8mZlv_JrCvdCTLvd18TJvJ?usp=sharing
Moray East Project Statistics
- Capacity: 950MW
- Location: UK, Moray Firth, closest point to shore, 22km from shore.
- Turbines: 100 V164 – 9.5MW
- Power for average requirements of ca. 950, 000 UK homes
- Moray East will generate sufficient electricity to save 1.4 million tonnes CO₂ equivalent annually (assuming displacement of gas generation)
- Power will be generated at £57.50/MWhr, the lowest cost of any new renewable generation and 2/3 less than offshore windfarms in operation around the UK today (typically upward of £140/MWhr)
Moray East Project Ownership & Finance:
The 950MW wind farm is being developed by Moray Offshore Windfarm East Ltd (MOWEL), which is a joint venture company owned by Ocean Winds (56.6%) Diamond Green Limited (33.4%) and CTG (10%).
The project financing agreements were signed on 28th November 2018 with a syndicate of commercial banks as well as EKF, Denmark’s Export Credit Agency (“EKF”) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (“JBIC”). The financing is composed of both project finance, which includes a senior debt facility of £2.1 billion, along with other debt facilities of £0.5 billion, and an equity bridge loan facility to cover part of the equity needs. Financial close occurred on 6th of December 2018.
In September 2017, MOWEL was awarded a 15-year Contract for Difference (CfD) by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (“BEIS”) for the delivery of 950MW of offshore wind generation at £57.5/MWh (2012 tariff-based). The wind farm is expected to be operational by 2022.
Moray East Project Timeline:
2010 – project development commenced when development rights were won in the UK’s 3rd round of offshore wind licencing. The Moray Firth Zone (Zone 1) was split into two, Moray East and Moray West. For technical reasons, Moray East was developed first
2014 – planning consent was awarded by the Scottish Government (offshore works) and Aberdeenshire Council (onshore works)
2017 – A 950MW Contract for Difference (CfD) was won in the UK Government’s 2nd competitive CfD auction. The CfD provides a contract for electricity for 15 years at £57.50/MWhr
2018 – Project announced signing of finance agreements and achieves financial close
2020 – 2022 – Commissioning late 2020 and fully operation by 2022
Moray East Key Facts
- Consent for construction of up to 1,116MW granted in 2016
- CfD for 950MW awarded in 2017
- Connection to National Grid at a new substation to be constructed at New Deer in Aberdeenshire via underground cable (planning permission granted by Aberdeenshire Council in 2014)
- Total underground export cable corridor route 86km (52km offshore and 34km onshore)
- Total wind farm Area – 295km2
- Maximum turbine blade-tip height – 204m (669 feet)
- Minimum distance from shore – 22km (13.5 miles).
-
40%
Of Scotland's electricity will be provided
-
1.7
Million tonnes of CO2 emissions saved every year
-
1.43
Million homes throughout the UK could be powered
500
Kilometers of cabling will be installed across the site
