Planning Consent Awarded

The Morven Offshore Wind Farm is working towards securing its main development consents for the Morven North and Morven South array projects in Scottish waters, with a decision currently anticipated in 2027. The project brochure explains that each array will require Section 36 consent under the Electricity Act 1989, granted by the Scottish Ministers, as well as associated marine licences issued by the Marine Directorate – Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT) on behalf of the Scottish Ministers under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. These consents cover the construction and operation of turbines, foundations, inter-array and interconnector cables, and offshore substation platforms across the two array sites off the Aberdeenshire coast. The brochure sets out an indicative consenting timetable in which the project team expects to submit applications for the relevant consents and licences for Morven North and Morven South to MD-LOT in 2026, following ongoing environmental assessment and Habitats Regulations Appraisal work. It then identifies “2027 – Decision” as the milestone when MD-LOT will inform the developer whether these applications have been approved. This positions 2027 as the target year for the award of planning consent and marine licences for the Scottish-waters elements of Morven, a key regulatory gateway before construction can begin in the 2030s. The decision will determine whether the project can progress from development into detailed design and construction planning.