Berwick Bank is a large consented offshore wind farm development in the outer Firth of Forth off Scotland’s east coast, being delivered by SSE Renewables with an indicative maximum installed capacity of up to 4.1 GW. The project combines former Round‑3 Firth of Forth plots and has been progressed...
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SSE Renewables formally signed the CfD contract with the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) for Berwick Bank Phase B (1,380 MW). The contract was awarded in AR7 at GBP 89.49/MWh (2024 prices). FID for Phase B is expected in 2027. Phases A and C remain available for future CfD rounds (AR8 expected late 2026).
SSE Renewables secured a Contract for Difference (CfD) for Berwick Bank Phase B (1,380 MW) in the UK CfD Allocation Round 7, at a strike price of GBP 89.49/MWh (2024 prices, CPI-indexed). Berwick Bank Phase B was the only Scottish fixed-bottom offshore wind project successful in AR7. Phase B connects via the Branxton grid connection in East Lothian.
On 5 January 2026, East Lothian Council opened a public consultation on Berwick Bank’s detailed application for 275 kV underground cable works between the landfall and onshore substation, inviting comments on the Approval of Matters Specified in Conditions application (reference 25/01386/AMM) to be submitted by 30 January 2026.
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Berwick Bank Cambois Connection, BB C Cambois Connection, Berwick Bank Wind Farm, Berwick Bank offshore wind farm, Seagreen 2+3, Seagreen Phase 2, Firth of Forth Zone Phase 2 Berwick Bank, Berwick Bank A, Berwick Bank B, Berwick Bank C, Berwick Bank, Seagreen 2, Seagreen 3, Marr Bank, Berwick Bank (combined former Seagreen 2/3 / Marr Bank proposals)
The Scottish Government granted Section 36 consent for the Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm on 31 July 2025, authorising construction and operation of a wind farm with up to 4.1 GW capacity in the North Sea east of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. This was the last major consent required for the project to proceed. The consent covers the offshore array and associated transmission infrastructure including export cables to landfall between Findon and St Cyrus. Developer: SSE Renewables (100% ownership).
Marine Scotland issued an Environmental Impact Assessment Decision Notice for the Berwick Bank generating station on 31 July 2025, confirming acceptance of the offshore EIA for the project under the Electricity Works and Marine Works EIA Regulations.
DELAYED +0mo (Apr 2026): Original projection assumed 4-day survey ending 2025-04-07. SSE Renewables ‘Notice to Mariners’ (Issue Date 01/04/2025, second issue) for the Cambois export cable route benthic survey states the survey mobilises 01 April 2025 and, allowing for weather delays, the expected completion date is 30 April 2025 (notice to remain in effect until 31 Aug 2025). No public confirmation of actual completion date found, so projection updated to the stated expected completion date. --- The April 2025 subtidal benthic survey campaign for the Berwick Bank export cable route was scheduled to finish on 7 April 2025 after four days of vessel operations, with a Notice to Mariners kept in force until 31 August to allow for possible weather-related delays.
On 1 April 2025, SSE Renewables started a subtidal benthic survey along a prospective offshore export cable route for Berwick Bank, with Natural Power using the vessel Windcat 20 and deploying a drop-down video camera and mini Hamon grab to collect seabed ecology data.
By late 2024, Berwick Bank had secured Transmission Entry Capacity (TEC) contracts with the National Energy System Operator (NESO) covering its offshore transmission connections. These agreements provide 1,150 MW TEC at the Berwick Bank A 275/66 kV offshore substation (effective from October 2028) and a further 1,150 MW at the Berwick Bank B 275/66 kV offshore substation (effective from October 2029), enabling at least 2.3 GW of export by 2029. A further TEC contract for 1.8 GW at the Blyth 400 kV substation (the Blyth/Cambois connection), effective from November 2029, underpins the HVDC export route to Cambois, together forming the core grid access arrangements for the Berwick Bank offshore transmission infrastructure.
In December 2023, East Lothian Council granted Planning Permission in Principle (reference 23/00162/PPM) for Berwick Bank’s onshore transmission infrastructure at Branxton, authorising the installation of onshore export cables from landfall, construction of the onshore substation/converter station, and 400 kV underground cables connecting to the SPEN 400 kV grid substation.
In October 2023, an onshore planning application was submitted to Northumberland County Council for the Berwick Bank grid connection into Blyth at Cambois, seeking permission under Section 57 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for onshore export cables, an onshore converter station and associated grid connection infrastructure.
Following submission of additional offshore EIA information, Marine Scotland issued a Public Notice of Environmental Impact Assessment Additional Information for Berwick Bank, advertising the new material and inviting further public and stakeholder comments on the updated assessments.
Berwick Bank Wind Farm Limited submitted additional offshore EIA material to Marine Scotland, including supplementary information, an Addendum to the Environmental Impact Assessment and Habitats Regulations Appraisal, and an Addendum to the derogation case, to address consultation feedback and provide further assessment for the Section 36 and marine licence applications.
In July 2023, an application was submitted to the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate for a marine licence under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 for the Cambois Connection export cables in Scottish waters, covering construction of up to four high‑voltage direct current offshore export cables and associated fibre‑optic cables from offshore converter station platforms within the Berwick Bank array area to landfall at Cambois, Northumberland.
Berwick Bank’s developer submitted a Marine Licence application to the UK Marine Management Organisation for the Cambois Connection offshore export cables in English waters, enabling connection from the offshore wind farm to landfall at Cambois and the existing Blyth substation.
In April 2023, SSE Renewables appointed Kent to carry out Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and detailed design of the wind turbine generator foundations and substructures for the 4.1 GW Berwick Bank offshore wind farm, progressing the project from initial concept design into advanced engineering ahead of procurement and construction decisions.
In March 2023, an onshore planning application was submitted to East Lothian Council for the Berwick Bank onshore transmission works at Branxton, seeking permission for onshore export cables, an onshore converter station and associated grid connection infrastructure linking the Skateraw landfall to the SP Energy Networks 400 kV grid substation at Branxton.
SSE Renewables, via Berwick Bank Wind Farm Limited, submitted the Onshore Environmental Impact Assessment Report (including its Non-Technical Summary) to East Lothian Council to support the planning application for onshore grid connection works near Torness and Innerwick, comprising landfall, onshore export cables, temporary compounds and a new onshore substation at Branxton.
Marine Scotland issued a Public Notice of Application for the Berwick Bank offshore wind farm, formally advertising the Section 36 and marine licence applications and inviting public and stakeholder representations on the proposed project and its submitted EIA.
On 9 December 2022, Berwick Bank Wind Farm Limited submitted to the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate an application for Section 36 consent together with three marine licence applications covering the Berwick Bank offshore wind generating station and the associated offshore transmission infrastructure, including Offshore Transmission Infrastructure Parts 1 and 2 (up to ten offshore substation/converter platforms, interconnector cables and up to eight offshore export cables from the array area towards landfall at Skateraw, East Lothian).
As part of the 9 December 2022 consent application, Berwick Bank Wind Farm Limited submitted a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report and a multi‑volume Report to Inform an Appropriate Assessment (RIAA) to the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate, covering the Berwick Bank offshore wind farm and its associated offshore transmission infrastructure including offshore substation platforms and export cables.
Berwick Bank Wind Farm Limited submitted the full Offshore Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report (Volumes 1–4), the Habitats Regulations Appraisal (RIAA) and supporting environmental documentation to the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate as part of its offshore consent package for the Berwick Bank generating station and export cables to Branxton.
In June 2022, Berwick Bank Wind Farm Limited agreed an additional grid connection with the National Grid Energy Systems Operator (NGESO) for the Blyth/Cambois route, known as the Cambois connection. This agreement, which includes an additional offshore export cable and associated grid link into the National Grid Blyth substation in Northumberland, will enable the Berwick Bank project to reach its full 4.1 GW generating capacity via the offshore transmission infrastructure.
On 15 June 2022, SSE Renewables confirmed a further reduction of around 20% in the Berwick Bank wind farm array area, following detailed ornithological work, environmental assessment and consultation to minimise effects on seabirds, benthic and shellfish ecology, fishing, and navigation before consent submission.
In summer 2021, SSE Renewables reduced the Berwick Bank wind farm site boundary by about 10% as part of an iterative design process, responding to ornithological studies, environmental assessment and stakeholder feedback to lessen potential impacts, particularly on seabirds.
From 2020, ITPEnergised’s ecology team began onshore bird, mammal and habitat surveys for Berwick Bank’s onshore transmission works, collecting baseline data across the study area to inform the onshore EIA and identify protected species and suitable habitats.
A geophysical survey campaign began in 2019 across the Berwick Bank proposed development array area to collect geophysical and bathymetric data needed to characterise the seabed and support subsequent design phases.
By the end of 2019, a geophysical survey across the Berwick Bank proposed development array area had been completed, delivering key geophysical and bathymetric datasets that underpinned later engineering and planning activities.
In 2010, The Crown Estate awarded exclusive development rights for the Firth of Forth Round 3 offshore wind zone (Zone 2) to Seagreen Wind Energy Ltd, a joint venture including SSE Renewables, identifying the wider offshore area that later formed the basis for the Berwick Bank Wind Farm (initially conceived as Seagreen 2 and 3/Marr Bank).
Berwick Bank Awarded development rights under The Crown Estate's Offshore Wind Leasing Round 3 (R3), with zone-development partners announced on 8 January 2010. R3 covered nine large strategic zones around the UK with around 32 GW of headline capacity and marked the move to far-from-shore, large-scale offshore wind development.
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