Moray East Reducing the cost of electricity
The 950MW Moray East offshore wind farm generates power at the CfD price (in 2012 prices) of £57.50/MWhr – or 5.75p/kWhr.
In 2017 Moray East was a successful participant in the UK’s second ‘Contract for Difference’ (CfD) auction. The CfD sets the price which is paid for power generated for a period of 15 years.
Moray East represents a step-change in the delivery of renewable power in terms of cost and scale. The project provides an abundant supply of low-carbon electricity at a highly competitive price. Since Moray East uses the UK’s own indigenous renewable natural resource of wind, the power generated does not depend on the import fossil fuels such as coal or gas, of thus improving the UK’s security of supply as well as helping to keep down costs for consumers.
Moray East – Infrastructure
Moray East consists of 100 wind turbines, each of 9.5 MW installed capacity. The turbines are mounted on three-legged jacket foundations. The project reached full power in 2022. The electrical power generated by the wind turbines is collected offshore via buried inter-array cables to three offshore substations.
The offshore substations, the export cables that connect back to the onshore substation near New Deer in Aberdeenshire, where the power connects to the ‘national grid’, are collectively known as the ‘OFTO’. The OFTO is now (see News section) owned by Transmission Capital Partners, who are also asset managers for the OFTO.
Moray East – O&M base in Fraserburgh
In October 2021, Moray East opened its Fraserburgh Operations and Maintenance Base; a bespoke two-story facility, built on industrial land on the harbour, contributing to Fraserburgh’s regeneration and economic growth. The building was planned, designed and built by Scottish contractors. Moray East is operated by Ocean Winds.
It is here that the service vessel ‘Alba’ is based, returning to the harbour every second Wednesday, after spending two weeks on the wind farm site with its crew of windfarm engineers and technicians.