First Power

The Berwick Bank Wind Farm, located in the North Sea in the outer Firth of Forth and developed by SSE Renewables, has a planned first power milestone for its Berwick Bank A phase in the fourth quarter of 2028. The wider Berwick Bank project has the potential to deliver up to 4.1 GW of installed capacity, with Berwick Bank A alone accounting for up to 1.4 GW from as many as 93 turbines. The project is described as being at an advanced stage of development and has already secured two grid connection points to the UK electricity system, in East Lothian and in the Blyth area of Northumberland. In summer 2025, a Section 36 planning application for the project was approved by the Scottish Government, allowing it to proceed towards construction and subsequent energisation. Within the indicative programme published via the UK North Sea Transition Authority’s Energy Pathfinder platform, the developer sets out a sequence of key milestones leading up to and following first power. Onshore works are scheduled to commence in Q2 2026, with offshore installation starting in Q1 2028 and Final Investment Decision planned for Q2 2028. First power is then targeted for Q4 2028, representing the point at which the project is expected to begin exporting electricity to the grid, ahead of full commercial operations. The same schedule indicates a commercial operation date in Q1 2032, implying a phased commissioning and ramp-up period after first power for Berwick Bank A.