Moray West: first UK offshore wind farm based on purchase agreements

ENGIE is financing the £2 billion Moray West wind farm in Scotland, which relies on renewable power purchase agreements with companies for its production. ENGIE's joint venture, Ocean Winds, has tripled the size of its project portfolio since its creation in 2020.

Share:

Subscribe for unlimited access to all energy sector news.

Over 150 multisector articles and analyses every week.

Your 1st year at 99 $*

then 199 $/year

*renews at 199$/year, cancel anytime before renewal.

ENGIE, through its joint venture Ocean Winds, announces that it has completed the financing of the Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland for £2 billion.

Moray West contributes to access to low-cost, low-carbon electricity

Moray West is the first offshore wind farm in the UK to rely primarily on commercial renewable power purchase agreements to market its output. Contracts have been signed with strategic partners for over 50% of production, representing the largest such contracts implemented in the UK market to date.

The Moray West wind farm has an installed capacity of 882 MW with 60 turbines. One third of the installed capacity was obtained through a Contract for Difference (CFD) to market the remaining output of the project. Construction of this park had already begun, enabling the local supply chain to be put in place, including using the Scottish ports of Invergordon and Nigg, and Buckie as an operations and maintenance base. The construction phase of the Moray West wind farm will create a total of 1,000 direct jobs in the UK.

The financial close allows the project to secure the remaining elements of the supply chain in preparation for the offshore installation work scheduled for late 2023. Moray West is expected to reach full production by 2025, contributing to the UK and Scotland’s renewable energy targets and providing the equivalent of 1.3 million households a year with access to long-term, low-cost, decarbonized electricity.

Moray West: a key project for ENGIE and Ocean Winds

ENGIE, through Ocean Winds, has a portfolio of 6.1 GW in the UK, with all its projects located in Scottish waters. In addition to the Moray West wind farm under construction and the Moray East wind farm already in operation since 2022, Ocean Winds has secured the rights to develop the Caledonia offshore wind farm and two floating projects east of the Shetland Islands, for a total of 2.3 GW. With 15 projects in 7 countries, Ocean Winds currently has a portfolio of 1.5 GW of projects in operation and 15.1 GW under construction and development worldwide. ENGIE’s joint venture has tripled the size of its project portfolio since its creation in 2020.

ENGIE is a leading global low-carbon energy and services group. With its 96,000 employees, customers, partners and stakeholders, the Group is committed every day to accelerating the transition to a carbon-neutral world through more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions. ENGIE’s revenue in 2022 amounted to €93.9 billion. ENGIE reconciles economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet by relying on its key businesses (gas, renewable energies, services) to offer competitive solutions to its customers.

The financial close of the Moray West offshore wind farm is an important milestone for ENGIE and its joint venture Ocean Winds in achieving their common goal of providing low-cost, low-carbon renewable energy to meet the world’s growing energy needs while contributing to the fight against climate change.

The Moray West offshore wind farm is an important step towards this goal, providing renewable energy to businesses and large numbers of homes, while helping to create local jobs and support economic growth in the region.

With 323 millions USD in cash, Polenergia strengthens its investments in offshore wind, solar and storage, targeting more than 2.3 GW of new energy capacity in Poland.
French group Valorem has commissioned the ViIatti wind complex in Finland, made up of two farms totalling 313 MW and an estimated annual output of 1 TWh.
The Revolution Wind project, already 80% complete, has been halted by the U.S. administration over national security concerns, creating major uncertainty in the sector.
The United States Department of Commerce is assessing the strategic impact of wind turbine imports amid rising tariffs and supply chain tensions.
Six turbines installed by RWE on recultivated land near the Inden mine will supply electricity to around 24,000 households, while two new units are already planned.
Buchan Offshore Wind has submitted its marine consent applications to the Scottish authorities for a large-scale floating wind project, marking a strategic step in energy development in northeast Scotland.
The VSB Group has completed the repowering of the Elster wind farm in Germany, replacing 50 turbines with 16 new Siemens Gamesa machines, increasing the total capacity from 30 to 105.6 megawatts.
The EBRD’s additional financing will raise the capacity of the Gvozd wind farm to 75 MW, making it the largest in the country. This project, led by EPCG, marks a key industrial milestone in Montenegro’s energy sector.
The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade is announcing "Arctic configuration" wind generators to power infrastructure on the Northern Sea Route, without listing any companies at this stage, with the stated aim of technological sovereignty.
The Danish turbine manufacturer posted a 14% increase in quarterly revenue, despite a sharp drop in order intake and negative cash flow.
German authorities have approved two onshore wind projects totalling more than 86 MW, with commissioning planned from 2027.
Ørsted strengthens its financial structure with a rights issue backed by the state, following the failed partial sale of the US Sunrise Wind project.
Forestalia has signed a ten-year power purchase agreement with Galp Energia Espana to refinance a 42.7 MW wind farm in Aragon, securing stable revenues through coverage of 65% of its annual production.
Encavis AG continues its growth in Germany with the acquisition of a 34-megawatt wind project in Sundern-Allendorf, sold by PNE AG and secured by a twenty-year feed-in tariff.
The last monopiles manufactured by Navantia Seanergies and Windar Renovables have been delivered to Iberdrola for the Windanker offshore project, marking a major milestone for the European XXL offshore wind component manufacturing industry.
Envision Energy's two-blade prototype has now reached over 500 days of continuous operation, achieving a 99.3% availability rate and confirming its potential compared to industrial standards.
RWE signs long-term agreements with North Star for four new service vessels, strengthening maintenance of its offshore wind farms in the United Kingdom and Germany amid a tight market for specialised maritime capacities.
AMEA Power partners with Cox for the second phase of the Agadir desalination plant, set to reach 400,000 m³/day with power supplied by a 150 MW wind farm in Laayoune.
Buhawind Energy Northern Luzon Corporation secures grid connection study approval, bringing the launch of one of Southeast Asia’s largest offshore wind projects closer.
France receives approval from the European Commission for a major public financing of EUR 11bn aimed at three floating wind projects totalling 1.5 GW, with a framework strengthening the national industry.

Log in to read this article

You'll also have access to a selection of our best content.

or

Go unlimited with our annual offer: $99 for the 1styear year, then $ 199/year.