Natural Power, the leading independent renewable energy consultancy, has provided crucial support to the Buchan Offshore Wind Farm to submit offshore consent applications to Scottish Ministers for its proposed floating wind farm northeast of Fraserburgh – a major project milestone.
As the lead Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultant for more than three years, Natural Power has played a key role in the project’s environmental and consenting journey. Working alongside the project partners, Natural Power has overseen all technical assessment stages of environmental scoping, consultation and assessment, to ensure an application that aligns with Scotland’s regulatory framework and environmental commitments.
Chris Pendlebury, Director of Offshore Consenting & Environment at Natural Power, said: “This latest development represents years of dedicated work by our in-house specialists and the close collaboration we’ve had with project partners and stakeholders. We’re proud to have supported Buchan Offshore Wind through such a comprehensive assessment process, ensuring that the project is underpinned by robust science and environmental stewardship.”
In late 2023, Natural Power developed and submitted the project’s offshore scoping report to Scottish Ministers. Following receipt of the scoping opinion, the team worked closely with Buchan Offshore Wind in a comprehensive phase of consultation, survey work and desk-based assessments to refine the project’s environmental baseline.
Natural Power specialists, along with key subconsultants, have completed detailed assessments across a wide range of topics, including: physical and coastal processes, benthic and intertidal ecology, fish and shellfish ecology, offshore and intertidal ornithology, marine mammals, commercial fisheries, infrastructure and other marine assets, shipping and navigation, military and civil aviation, major accidents and disasters, marine archaeology and cultural heritage, socio-economics, tourism and recreation, and climate change.
These assessments informed the environmental impact assessment report and the report to inform appropriate assessment, which have now been successfully submitted to Scottish Ministers (August 2025) as part of the project’s consent application.
In addition, Natural Power prepared the shadow Derogation Case and ornithological compensation plan, submitted alongside the application to demonstrate compliance with the habitats regulations assessment derogation provisions, should Scottish Ministers require them.
About Buchan Offshore Wind
Buchan Offshore Wind Farm is a floating offshore wind project with a planned capacity of up to 1 GW, located around 75 km northeast of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. Developed through the ScotWind leasing round, the project is a joint venture between BayWa r.e., Elicio and BW Ideol, and plans to utilise BW Ideol’s proven floating foundation technology.
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