Other Permit Awarded

On 23 March 2023, the Marine Scotland project page for Buchan Offshore Wind records that an European Protected Species (EPS) Licence for the project has been granted. The entry appears as “Buchan Offshore Wind - EPS Licence - EPS-BS-00010207 – Licence” with the project categorised under renewables – wind and dated 2023-03-23. This confirms that the EPS licence associated with Buchan Offshore Wind is no longer at application stage but has progressed to an issued licence. The project page as a whole is marked as being at the “Pre-application” stage, indicating that the broader project consents are still in development even though this specific licence has been awarded. The EPS licence is titled “European Protected Species Licence – Proposed Export Cable Route Geophysical, Geotechnical and Environmental Surveys – Buchan Offshore Wind - 00010207,” which shows that it relates specifically to survey activities along the proposed export cable route. The same Marine Scotland listing also shows a separate earlier record titled “Buchan Offshore Wind - EPS Licence Application” dated 5 December 2022, reinforcing that the March 2023 “Licence” entry represents the successful outcome of that application. By issuing this EPS licence, Marine Scotland has authorised Buchan Offshore Wind to undertake the defined geophysical, geotechnical and environmental survey activities associated with the export cable route in the Moray Firth. This represents a key regulatory step for undertaking those surveys within the constraints of European Protected Species protections, while the overall project continues to progress through its wider pre-application and consent processes.