Planning Consent Awarded

On 3 May 2013, the Scottish Ministers granted development consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for the single-turbine demonstration project at Fife Energy Park, Methil, originally known as the Fife Energy Park Offshore Demonstration Wind Turbine and now referred to as the Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine. This Section 36 consent authorised the construction and operation of a demonstration offshore generating station comprising up to one three-bladed wind turbine generator with a rated capacity of up to 7 MW and a maximum blade tip height of around 196 metres above mean sea level, together with associated access, control and onshore infrastructure described in the consent and associated documents. [2][3] The Marine Scotland licensing record confirms that a related marine licence application for this project was submitted on 26 July 2012 and that the licence was granted on 3 May 2013, with the application explicitly linked to the Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine project. This aligns with the consultation material for a later consent variation, which records that Section 36 consent for this single turbine was granted by the Scottish Ministers on 3 May 2013 and notes that the turbine is now operational. Together, these records demonstrate that the 2013 Section 36 decision was the principal planning and development consent for the project, establishing the legal basis for its construction and subsequent operation, with later regulatory activity focused on variations to extend operational life and update marine licensing rather than revisiting the core consent. [1][2][3]