Neart na Gaoithe OFTO
OperationalOffshore GridGB448 MW220 kV53.82 km2023
Basic information
8 fieldsAlso Known As
Neart na Gaoithe OFTO · NnG OFTO · Neart na Gaoithe offshore transmission assets · TR10 Neart na Gaoithe OFTO
Status
operational
Capacity
448 MW
Type
offshore grid
Transmission Model
Developer Build & Transfer
Expected Life
24 years
Website
Supply Chain (3)
Project Timeline (35)
14 Oct 2025Revenue Secured
On 14 October 2025, Ofgem named Equitix as the preferred bidder for the Tender Round 10 Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) project, an offshore transmission asset package valued at approximately £450 million. Upon asset transfer, Equitix is expected to receive an OFTO transmission licence and acquire the NnG transmission assets, including the offshore substations, around 38 km of offshore export cables, 13 km of onshore export cables, and the new onshore substation connecting into SPEN’s Crystal Rig substation, thereby securing the regulated OFTO revenue stream for operating these assets.
24 Jul 2025Onss Commissioned
Onshore substation and associated transmission works for Neart na Gaoithe are necessarily complete and commissioned by the time the wind farm is declared fully operational. ESB's 25 July 2025 press release, reporting Scotland's First Minister marking the completion of the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm as it becomes fully operational, confirms that all turbines are generating and the grid connection via the NnG onshore substation and Crystal Rig/Belhaven grid substation is in service.
Feb 2025Other Permit AwardedStale
Authority: Ofgem · Licence: Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) transmission licence
As part of the Neart na Gaoithe OFTO Transaction Timeline, a licence grant window is scheduled between November 2024 and February 2025 for the Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) transmission licence. Within this period, the successful bidder under Ofgem’s Tender Round 10 is expected to be granted the transmission licence, enabling it to own and operate the Neart na Gaoithe offshore transmission assets and receive the associated regulated revenue stream.
Q1 2024Commercial Operations Full Power
Commercial operation at full capacity (COD) for the Neart na Gaoithe transmission system is aligned with the project COD indicated as occurring in Q1 2024. The project overview for NnG shows COD in the first quarter of 2024 following completion of offshore and onshore substations, 220 kV export cables, and grid code testing of the whole transmission works.
Q4 2023Procurement NoticeStale
Authority: Ofgem · Licence: Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage for Neart na Gaoithe OFTO in Tender Round 10
Ofgem indicated that, following completion of the Enhanced Pre‑Qualification stage, the Invitation to Tender (ITT) phase for the Neart na Gaoithe offshore transmission assets in Tender Round 10 was due to commence in the fourth quarter of 2023. During this stage, the shortlisted consortia would submit detailed bids to own and operate the NnG OFTO link under a regulated 25‑year revenue stream.
Jul 2023First Power
First power was achieved on the Neart na Gaoithe transmission system in July 2023, marking initial export of electricity from the 448 MW offshore wind farm through its 220 kV export cables and substations to the onshore grid connection at Crystal Rig. This milestone appears in the NnG OFTO transaction timeline and project overview, which show first power occurring in July 2023 for the completed offshore and onshore transmission works.
18 Jul 2023Procurement Notice
Authority: Ofgem · Licence: Completion of Enhanced Pre-Qualification (EPQ) and shortlisting of bidders for Neart na Gaoithe OFTO in Tender Round 10
On 18 July 2023, Ofgem announced that four bidding consortia had successfully passed the Enhanced Pre‑Qualification (EPQ) stage for Offshore Transmission Owner Tender Round 10, which covers the offshore transmission links for Dogger Bank A, Neart na Gaoithe, and Moray West. Completion of the EPQ stage confirmed that these bidders were qualified to proceed to the Invitation to Tender stage for the Neart na Gaoithe OFTO transmission assets, valued at around £0.5 billion.
May 2023Onshore Cable Installation Complete
By May 2023, installation of the two 220 kV onshore export cables between Thorntonloch Beach landfall and the Crystal Rig II substation in the Lammermuir Hills had been completed, as confirmed by NnG project director Matthias Haag in a stakeholder update. This marks the completion of the full NnG OFTO cable system including both offshore (completed Jul 2021) and onshore segments.
26 Jan 2023Procurement Notice
On 26 January 2023, Ofgem launched Offshore Transmission Tender Round 10, confirming Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) as one of the OFTO projects and publishing an initial transfer value of £495.1 million for the NnG offshore transmission assets. The tender documentation outlines that the transmission link, associated with the 448 MW Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm, will be offered to investors under the standard OFTO regime, with the initial transfer value forming the basis for the regulated revenue stream to be earned by the eventual OFTO licensee.
26 Jan 2023System Testing
At the OFTO Tender Round 10 launch event on 26 January 2023, system testing of the Neart na Gaoithe transmission assets was reported as ongoing, with the project timeline showing Whole of Works Grid Code Testing planned from September 2023 to January 2024.