The Anonymous Widower

An Extreme Day Out – Bedlington And Northumberland Park Stations

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Northumberland Line and the Eastern part of the Newcastle Metro.

Note.

  1. The yellow track is the Northumberland Line.
  2. It terminates in the North at Ashington in the top-left corner of the map.
  3. Bebington station is indicated by the blue arrow.
  4. It terminates in the South at Newcastle station.
  5. The green track is the Newcastle Metro.
  6. There is now an interchange between the two lines at Northumberland Park station.

In the following sections, I’ll describe my trip.

King’s Cross And Newcastle Return For £66.35

I bought my two long distance tickets on a walk-up basis at King’s Cross and Newcastle stations from the machines.

  • I traveled North on a Lumo service to Glasgow for £27.20.
  • I did indulge myself with a tea for £2.60.
  • I traveled South on an LNER service for £36.55.
  • One of the reasons, I buy tickets on a walk-up basis, is that with my uncomplicated pancolonic diverticular disease, I might decide to cancel at the last minute, so it avoids the hassle of getting refunds.

Both services were within a few minutes of the timetable, although LNER had said they would be late, due to signalling problems.

My Route In Northumberland For £2.60

I bought a return ticket at Newcastle station for Ashington, which is the current terminus of the Northumberland Line.

  • I actually didn’t go past Bedlington station, where I turned round and had a drink.
  • As there are two trains per hour on the Northumberland Line, waits are not generally not too long.
  • I only came back as far as Northumberland Park, where I swapped to the Metro for Newcastle station.

If I had had more time, I would have stopped at Seaton Delaval station to have a gluten-free dinner, which I wrote about in Seaton Delaval Station – 30th March 2025.

From Newcastle to Bedlington Station

I took these pictures going to Bedlington station.

I would have taken more pictures, but the train was rather full.

Bedlington Station And Bedlington

I took these pictures at and around Bedlington station.

Note.

  1. Although it is a completely rebuilt station, it has a level crossing.
  2. But is the signal box keeping a watchful eye over trains and the road?
  3. Bedlington station appears to be step-free using ramps and the level crossing.
  4. Just to the North of the station, the tracks split to Ashington and Morpeth.

In my forty minutes or so in Bedlington, I didn’t see a terrier.

Are Any Bedlington Terriers Still Bred At Or Near Bedlington?

I had to ask Google AI, this question and I received this reply.

Yes, Bedlington Terriers are still bred in and around their namesake town in Northumberland, UK. While they are a relatively rare breed overall, the historic North East region remains one of the primary strongholds for these distinct “lamb-like” dogs.

Northumberland Park Station

I took these pictures at Northumberland Park station.

 

Note.

  1. The Northumberland Line uses a single bi-directional platform on the North side of the station.
  2. The Newcastle Metro uses an island platform on the South side of the station.
  3. Both platforms have steps and lifts.
  4. There are around 400 parking spaces and a Sainsbury’s Superstore at the station.

At 78, after a stroke, I didn’t find the change between the two lines difficult. But I did use the lifts!

What Are The Future Plans For The Northumberland Line?

I couldn’t resist asking Google AI this question and I received this answer.

With the Bedlington and Northumberland Park stations fully operational, the core phase of the Northumberland Line connecting Ashington to Newcastle is complete. Future plans now focus on route extensions, additional stops, and increasing capacity to handle high passenger demand.

Key Future Plans

Extension to the Coast: The North East Combined Authority is actively funding the development of an extension to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, utilizing existing freight tracks. Planning submissions for this expansion are targeted for 2028.

New Station Proposals: Proposals are being explored to build an additional stop serving the Wansbeck General Hospital and to replace the long-closed Choppington station.

Increased Capacity: Operator Northern Rail is in ongoing discussions with transport partners to lengthen train services (which are currently constrained to two to four coaches) to help accommodate massive patronage on the line.

Integrated Ticketing: The Northumberland County Council is exploring integrated ticketing with the Tyne and Wear Metro to allow for seamless travel between the two networks at stations like Northumberland Park.

From my observations on the line over the last few years, I would go along with Google AI’s recommendations.

These are some specific thoughts.

Extension To Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks that used to exist between Ashington and Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.

Note.

  1. Ashington station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. A freight line exists, which is shown in yellow, all the way to Lynemouth power station, which is a 420 MW biomass power station.
  3. Lynemouth powerstation was originally built to power an aluminium smelter.
  4. Running South-East from the Northumberland Line, is a disused railway alignment labelled NBN, which leads into Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.

This Wikipedia section describes the history of railway connection of the town.

Situated on the west side of Front Street (now the B1334), the station opened on 1 March 1872 as a terminus of the Blyth and Tyne Railway (now known as the Northumberland Line). The station had a long island platform onto which the station building faced. There were sidings on both sides of the station which handled goods traffic, controlled by a signal box. The station closed to both passengers and goods traffic on 2 November 1964. With the reopening of the Northumberland Line, Provisions have been made, especially at Ashington so that the line could be extended to Newbiggin. As of the end of 2025, there were calls to extend the railway by 1.6km (1 mile) into the centre of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. This will require new track and is all subject to a feasibility study.  A formal bid was launched in December 2025 for this.

In Formal Bid To Extend Railway Line, I wrote about the latest progress in January 2026, based on a BBC article.

The Northumberland Line Needs A Focus Other Than Commuting

Several of the stations have large car-parks, which is good for commuting, but the railway needs to serve more places for leisure and other activities.

  • Seaton Delaval Hall is Grade 1 Listed and is just 10 minutes in a bus from the station with the same name.
  • If the Northumberland Line is connected to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, that could bring in those, wanting a day by the sea.
  • The extended Northumberland Line would also connect to Woodhorn, which is a museum, described in this Wikipedia entry.

QTS are also developing an AI data centre at Cambois, which surely will generate commuter traffic from all over the North East.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the location of the QTS AI Data Centre.

Note.

  1. Ashington station is indicated by a blue arrow.
  2. The yellow track is the Northumberland Line, which now terminates at Ashington station.
  3. Bedlington station is in the South-West corner of the map.
  4. The trapezoidal grey box to the East of Bedlington is labelled as Site for QTS AI Data Centre.
  5. As the site, was that of Blyth coal-fired power station, before QTS acquired it, there is a disused railway line that connects the site to the Northumberland Line.

I suspect there are powerful economic arguments about whether or not, the Northumberland Line is extended to the QTS AI Data Centre site.

How Much Power Will QTS Cambois Data Centre Need?

I couldn’t resist asking Google AI this question and I received this answer.

The proposed QTS Cambois data centre in Northumberland is expected to require between 620MW and 720MW of critical IT power capacity, with an initial proposal capacity of up to 1.1GW.

Details on the planned power infrastructure include:

Power Capacity: The facility will support up to 720MW of critical IT capacity across ten planned buildings, though some council estimates cite an expected total power capacity of 620MW.

Backup Power: To guarantee uptime and handle power outages, the campus will rely on nearly 600 diesel-powered generators, requiring up to 58 generators per data hall.

Site Details: Located on the former Blyth Power Station site in Cambois, the £10 billion development will span 540,000 square metres.

My views on this are.

  • There is the 1.4 GW North Sea Link from Blyth to Norway, that I wrote about in UK To Norway Sub-Sea Green Power Cable Operational.
  • The 4.1 GW Berwick Bank wind farm is planned to send 1.8 GW to Blyth.
  • To help if QTS need more power, there is the 1.4 GW Sofia wind farm.
  • So 1.1 GW should be manageable, as Blyth is blessed with more power than Niagra Falls.

I also believe that Centrica and Delta have a much better backup solution, that I described in Delta And Centrica Launch Scalable Off-Grid Fuel Cell Power Solution. Hydrogen could come by pipeline or rail.

How Would The Northumberland Line Connect To Wansbeck Hospital?

This Google Map, shows the location of Wansbeck General Hospital with respect to Ashington station.

Note.

  1. Ashington station in the South-West corner.
  2. Woodhorn museum is in the North-East corner.
  3. Wansbeck General Hospital is indicated by a red arrow.
  4. The Northumberland Line runs East-West to the South of the museum and then curves round to reach the station.

Perhaps the station could go between the museum and the hospital and an innovative shuttle would connect all three locations.

How Would The Northumberland Line Connect To Choppington?

This Google Map, shows the location of Choppington, with respect to Morpeth and Bedlington stations.

Note.

  1. The orange track on the West side of the map is the East Coast Main Line.
  2. Morpeth station is in the North-West corner of the map.
  3. Bedlington station is in the South-East corner of the map.

The Eastern end of the Bedlington and Morpeth Line can be seen in this picture to the left of Bedlington North signal box at the Northern ends of the the platforms.

 

Note.

  1. Bedlington North signal box has a communication mast behind it.
  2. The track to the left of the box goes to Morpeth.
  3. The track to the right of the box goes to Ashington.

This OpenRailwayMap shows Choppington Road, which crosses the Bedlington and Morpeth Line at the only level crossing between Bedlington station and Hepscott junction.

Note.

  1. Choppington Road, which runs North-South on the map.
  2. The yellow tracks are the Morpeth and Bedlington Line, which runs East-West across the map.
  3. Where they cross, a red cross indicates a level crossing.
  4. The Wikipedia entry of Choppington station shows a level crossing.

As the level crossing on the map is the only one shown, this must be the location of Choppington station.

 

 

June 10, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Food, Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

UK Offshore Wind In 2030 – Calculated June 2026

The next general election is likely to be held in 2029, so how much wind energy will be added before the next Parliament?

The Current Position

The Wikipedia entry for the list of operational wind farms in the UK, says this.

In July 2025, there were offshore wind farms consisting of 2,809 turbines with a combined capacity of 16,035 megawatts.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2026

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2026.

  • Dogger Bank A – 1235 MW – Fixed
  • Sofia – 1400 MW – Fixed

This would add 2 wind farms and 2635 MW to give a total of 18,670 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2027

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2027.

  • Dogger Bank B – 1235 MW – Fixed
  • Dogger Bank C – 1218 MW – Fixed
  • East Anglia 1 North – 800 MW – Fixed
  • East Anglia 2 – 900 MW – Fixed
  • East Anglia 3 – 1372 MW – Fixed
  • Hornsea 3 – 2852 MW – Fixed
  • Inch Cape – 1080 MW – Fixed
  • Llŷr 1 – 100 MW – Floating
  • Llŷr 2 – 100 MW – Floating
  • Norfolk Boreas – 1380 MW – Fixed
  • Pentland – 100 MW – Floating
  • Whitecross – 100 MW – Floating

This would add 12 wind farms and 11237 MW to give a total of 29,907 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2028

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2028.

  • Morecambe – 480 MW – Fixed

This would add 1 wind farm and 480 MW to give a total of 30,387 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2029

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2029.

  • Mona – 1500 MW -Fixed
  • West Of Orkney – 2000 MW – Fixed

This would add 2 wind farms and 3500 MW to give a total of 33,887 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2030

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2030.

  • Ramplion 2 Extension – 1200 MW – Fixed
  • Norfolk Vanguard East – 1380 MW – Fixed
  • Norfolk Vanguard West – 1380 MW – Fixed
  • Awel y Môr – 1100 MW – Fixed
  • Berwick Bank – 4100 MW – Fixed
  • Outer Dowsing – 1500 MW – Fixed
  • Caledonia – 2000 MW – Fixed
  • N3 Project – 495 MW – Fixed/Floating
  • North Falls – 504 MW – Fixed

This would add 9 wind farms and 13,659 MW to give a total of 47,656 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2031

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2031.

  • Awel y Môr – 775 MW – Fixed
  • Berwick Bank – 1380 MW – Fixed
  • Dogger Bank SW – 1500 MW – Fixed
  • Morven Phase 1 – 1500 MW – Fixed
  • Spiorad na Mara – 840 MW – Mixed

This would add 5 wind farms and 5,995 MW to give a total of 53,651 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2032

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2032.

  • Caledonia – 2000 MW – Fixed
  • Dogger Bank SE – 1500 MW – Fixed
  • Seagreen Phase 1A – 500 MW – Fixed

This would add 3 wind farms and 4,000 MW to give a total of 57,651 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2033

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2033.

  • Ayre 1008 MW – Fixed
  • Bowdun – 1008 MW – Fixed
  • Buchan – 960 MW – Floating
  • Morven Phase 2 – 1500 MW – Fixed

This would add 4 wind farms and 4,476 MW to give a total of 62,017 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2035

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2035.

  • Dogger Bank D – 1320 MW – Fixed
  • Mooir Vannin – 1400 MW -Fixed

This would add 2 wind farms and 2,720 MW to give a total of 64,737 MW.

Due To Be Commissioned In 2036

It would appear these wind farms will come on-line in 2036.

  • Havbredey – 1,500 MW – Fixed

This would add 1 wind farm and 1,500 MW to give a total of 66,347 MW.

Capacity Summary

  • 2025 – None – 16,035 MW
  • 2026 – 2635 MW – 18,670 MW
  • 2027 – 11237 MW – 29,907 MW
  • 2028 – 480 MW – 30,387 MW
  • 2029 – 3500 MW – 33,887 MW
  • 2030 – 13,659 MW – 47.656 MW
  • 2031 – 5,995 MW – 53,651 MW
  • 2032 – 4,000 MW – 57,651 MW
  • 2033 – 4,476 MW – 62,127 MW
  • 2034 – None – 62,127 MW
  • 2035 – 2,720 MW – 64,847 MW
  • 2036 – 1,500 MW – 66,347 MW

Note.

  1. The first figure is my estimate of what will be added in the year.
  2. The second figure is my estimate of what will be the total at the end of the year.
  3. Currently, we’re generating and importing a total of 29.33 GW.

We’re still be adding capacity into the 2030s.

The Average Size Of A Wind Farm

This is 1.26 GW.

 

 

 

May 14, 2026 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Scotland’s 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm Fully Operational

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

The 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm has become fully operational, with Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney visiting Eyemouth on 24 July to mark the launch of the country’s newest offshore wind project.

These first three paragraphs give more details.

Located 15.5 kilometres off the coast of Fife, NnG is co-owned by EDF power solutions UK and Ireland and ESB. The wind farm’s 54 turbines are now generating up to 450 MW of clean electricity, which is enough to power around 375,000 homes and will offset over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year, according to the developer.

The installation of Siemens Gamesa 8 MW turbines was completed in April 2025, while the project produced its first power in October 2024.

Electricity generated by Neart na Gaoithe is transmitted via the subsea export cable from the offshore substation to Thorntonloch Beach, where the underground onshore export cable feeds it to the national grid.

This Google Map shows the mouth of the Firth of Forth.

Note.

  1. The red arrow indicates Torness power station.
  2. The Fife Coast is at the top of the map.
  3. The most Easterly island is the Isle of May.
  4. The wind farm is located 15.5 kilometres off the Fife Coast.

This second Google Map shows the Fife Coast and the Isle of May.

Note.

  1. The red arrow indicates Fife Ness lighthouse.
  2. The island in the South-East corner of the map is the Isle of May.
  3. Leven station is in the South-West corner of the map, which I described in Leven Station – 15th May 2025.

From this map, I estimated that Fife Ness lighthouse and the Isle of May are around ten kilometres apart.

This third Google Map shows Torness nuclear power station on the other side of the Firth of Forth.

Note.

  1. Torness nuclear powerstation is indicated by the red arrow.
  2. The A1 road between Edinburgh and the South crossing the map diagonally.
  3. The East Coast Main Line following a similar route to the A1.
  4. The beach below the power station is Tgortonlock, where the cable from Neart na Gaoithe wind farm comes ashore.

Consider.

  • Torness nuclear powerstation was built in 1988.
  • It has a capacity of 1290 MW.
  • Neart na Gaoithe wind farm has a capacity of 450 MW.

This is said in the Wikipedia entry for the Torness nuclear powerstation about its closure.

In December 2024, in response to concerns over energy security following delays to the opening of Hinkley Point C, EDF announced that the life of Torness would be extended two years until March 2030.

In January 2025, EDF stated that “their ambition is to generate beyond these dates [of March 2030], subject to plant inspections and regulatory oversight”

It looks like more power is needed at Torness to cover the closure of the nuclear powerstation.

I asked Google to give me an AI Overview of what wind farms will connect to the grid at Torness and I was given this answer.

Several wind farms are planned to connect to the grid near Torness, with the largest being the Berwick Bank Wind Farm. This offshore wind farm, located 40km off the coast, will connect to the National Grid at Branxton, near Torness. Another project, Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1), will also connect to the grid near Torness, specifically at the Torness substation, and then link to Hawthorn Pit in County Durham. Additionally, the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm is also being developed in the area.

As Berwick Bank wind farm and EGL1 have capacities of 4.1 and 2 GW respectively, I am fairly sure that Torness can be safely decommissioned.

 

July 25, 2025 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Japanese Companies To Invest GBP 14.2 Billion In UK’s Offshore Wind, Green Hydrogen

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Japanese giants Marubeni Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, and Sumitomo Electric Industries have committed to investing a total of GBP 14.2 billion (approximately EUR 16.3 billion) in offshore wind and green hydrogen projects, and the offshore wind supply chain in the UK

These two paragraphs add a bit of context and flesh to the deal.

Ahead of the UK Prime Minister’s business reception in Tokyo on 18 May, the UK government announced that leading Japanese businesses have committed to invest GBP 17.7 billion (approx. EUR 20.3 billion) in businesses and projects across the UK.

Of this, GBP 14.2 billion has been committed by Marubeni, Sumitomo and Sumitomo Electric for projects in offshore wind, green hydrogen and offshore wind supply chain.

SSE’s Berwick Bank Wind Farm will have a capacity of 4.1 GW and is budgeted to cost just short of £18 billion. Doing a quick calculation, indicates that £14.2 billion would only finance £3.23 GW of offshore wind.

But the Japanese say they will invest in offshore wind, green hydrogen and offshore wind supply chain. Investing in the offshore wind supply chain, would surely attract more money as the developers placed orders for foundations, floaters, electrical gubbins and support vessels.

Note.

  1. In Japanese Giant Sumitomo Heavy Invests In Liquid-Air Energy Storage Pioneer, I wrote about Sumitomo’s investment in English energy storage. company; Highview Power.
  2. Electrolyser company; iTM Power has also sold a 1.4 MW electrolyser to Sumitomo and signed an agreement over American sales with another Japanese company.

I can see other similar co-operative deals being developed. Possible areas could be cables, transformers and support vessels.

May 19, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Largest Offshore Wind Project In UK Reaches Development Milestone

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

An application to build the up to 4.1 GW Berwick Bank, the UK’s largest offshore wind farm, capable of providing enough electricity to power more than five million homes, has commenced determination, SSE Renewables said.

These two paragraphs outline the current status of the project.

Located roughly 38 kilometers off the East Lothian coast of Scotland, Berwick Bank is the largest offshore wind farm planning application to be submitted in the UK to date and one of the largest globally.

The consent process for the onshore elements of the project has now opened, which is being considered by East Lothian Council.

This process runs alongside the offshore consent process, which kicked off in December 2022 and is being considered by the Scottish Government. A final decision by authorities is expected later in 2023.

SSE Renewables hope to deliver first power by 2027.

March 31, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , | Leave a comment

Berwick Bank Wind Farm Could Provide Multi-Billion Pound Boost To Scottish Economy And Generate Thousands Of Jobs

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE.

This press release is all about numbers.

  • 307 turbines
  • 4.1 GW nameplate capacity
  • 5 million homes will be powered
  • 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide avoided
  • Up to £8.3 billion to the UK economy
  • 4650 potential jobs in Scotland
  • 9300 potential jobs in the UK

These are all large figures.

This map from SSE shows the location of the wind farm.

The press release says this about connections to the grid.

Berwick Bank has secured a grid connection at Branxton, near Torness, in East Lothian. A second grid connection will be required for the project, which has been determined as Blyth, Northumberland.

Note, that Torness is the site of Torness nuclear power station.

  • It has a nameplate capacity of 1.29 GW.
  • It is scheduled to be shutdown in 2028.

This Google Map shows the coast between Dunbar and Torness nuclear power station.

Note.

  1. The town of Dunbar is outlined in red.
  2. The yellow line running diagonally across the map is the A1 road.
  3. Torness nuclear power station is in the South-East corner of the map to the North of the A1.

This second Google Map shoes an enlargement of the South-East corner of the map.

Note.

  1. Torness nuclear power station at the top of the map.
  2. The A1 road running across the map.
  3. The East Coast Main Line to the South of the A1.
  4. Innerwick Castle in the South-West corner of the map.

This Google Map shows the location of Branxton substation in relation to Innerwick Castle.

Note.

  1. Innerwick Castle is in the North-West corner of the map.
  2. Branxton substation is in the South-East corner of the map.

I estimate that the distance between Torness nuclear power station and Branxton substation is about five kilometres. The cable appears to be underground.

I have some thoughts.

Will The Connection Between Berwick Bank Wind Farm And Branxton Substation Be Underground?

If SSE follows the precedent of Torness nuclear power station, it will be underground.

Or will they use T-pylons?

This page on the National Grid web site is entitled What’s A T-Pylon And How Do We Build Them?.

From an engineering point of view, I suspect T-pylons could be used, but aesthetics and local preference may mean the cable is underground.

It should be noted that Torness nuclear power station will be shutdown in 2028. So will the current underground cable for the nuclear power station be repurposed after shutdown for the Berwick Bank wind farm?

This would mean, that the Southern connection cable to Blyth could be built first to support the first turbines erected in the wind farm.

When Will Berwick Bank Wind Farm Be Commissioned?

This page on the Berwick Bank wind farm web site is a briefing pack on the project.

The page gives construction and commission dates of 2026-2030.

Will There Be A Battery At Torness?

As we are talking about the latter half of the current decade for completion of the Berwick Bank wind farm, I believe that a substantial battery could be installed at Torness to smooth the output of the wind farm, when the wins isn’t blowing at full power.

One of Highview Power’s 2.5 GW/30 GWh CRYOBatteries could be about the right size if it has been successfully developed, but I am sure that other batteries will be of a suitable size.

If there is a case for a battery at Torness, there must surely be a case for a battery at Blyth.

Will Berwick Bank Wind Farm Be A Replacement For Torness Nuclear Power Station?

Consider.

  • Torness nuclear power station is shutting down in 2028.
  • Berwick Bank wind farm will be fully operational by 2030.
  • Berwick Bank wind farm could use a repurposed connection to Branxton substation, if the nuclear power station no longer needs it.
  • There is space on the Torness site for a large battery.

, it looks like Torness nuclear power station could be replaced by the larger wind farm.

 

 

 

 

 

September 2, 2022 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wind Farms On The East Coast Of Scotland

This map shows the proposed wind farms off the East coast of Scotland.

There are five wind farms in the map.

  • The green area is the cable corridor for Seagreen 1a
  • Inch Cape is the odd-shaped wind farm to the North and West of the green area
  • Seagreen at the top of the map, to the North of Inch Cape.
  • Marr Bank with the pink NE-SW hatching
  • Berwick Bank with the green NW-SE hatching
  • Neart Na Gaoithe is edged in blue to the South of the green area.

Berwick Bank and Marr Bank are both owned by SSE and appear to have been combined.

These are some more details on each of the now four wind farms.

Seagreen

These are details of the Seagreen wind farm.

  • Seagreen will be Scotland’s largest and the world’s deepest offshore wind farm when complete.
  • The first phase will have 114 turbines and a capacity of 1075 MW.
  • It will connect to the grid at a new substation at Tealing near Dundee.
  • The cables will run to the North of the Inch Cape wind farm.
  • It will be completed in 2023.
  • The second phase (1a), will have 36 turbines.
  • It may have larger turbines.
  • The cables will run in the green area to Cockenzie in East Lothian.

This press release from SSE is entitled Another Milestone For Scotland’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm As 4,800 Tonnes Offshore Platform Completed.

This is the first paragraph.

The topside forms the backbone of the offshore wind farm. At 40 metres long, 45 metres wide and 15 metres high, the heavyweight superstructure’s role is to collect and manage 1,075MW of power generated by the 114 Vestas wind turbines before transferring it ashore via around 60km of offshore subsea cabling.

This platform is used to connect the 114 turbines to the shore.

Inch Cape

This paragraph from the home page of the Inch Cape web site, describes the wind farm.

The Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm, currently in late stage development, will see up to 72 turbines located 15 km off the Angus Coast and connect to the National Grid at Cockenzie, East Lothian. Once complete, it will be one of Scotland’s largest single sources of renewable energy and power up to 1 million homes with clean electricity.

The home page says it will generate up to 1 GW of electricity.

Neart Na Gaoithe

This sentence for the Wikipedia entry for the Neart Na Gaoithe web site describes the wind farm.

It is being developed by Mainstream Renewable Power at a cost of £1.4bn. Offshore work began in 2020, with completion planned for 2023.

The Wikipedia entry says it will generate up to 450 MW of electricity.

Berwick Bank

These two paragraphs from the project page of the Berwick Bank web site describes the wind farm.

Located in the North Sea, in the outer Firth of Forth, Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm has the potential to deliver up to 4.1 GW of installed capacity, making it one of the largest offshore opportunities in the world.

Berwick Bank Wind Farm is in the development stage and previously the project was comprised of two separate proposals, Berwick Bank Wind Farm and Marr Bank Wind Farm. Following initial rounds of consultation, it has been decided to combine our proposals into one single opportunity – Berwick Bank Wind Farm.

At 4.1 GW,  Berwick Bank is a big wind farm.

The capacity of the four farms can be summarised as follows.

  • Seagreen – 1075 MW
  • Neart Na Gaoithe – 450 MW
  • Inch Cape – 1000 MW
  • Berwick Bank – 4100 MW

This gives a total of 6625 MW.

 

March 9, 2022 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , | 4 Comments