UNITED KINGDOM —Bowdun Offshore Wind Farm, located 44 km off Stonehaven in North East Scotland, has submitted an application for planning permission in principle for its onshore infrastructure to Aberdeenshire Council. The submission covers the landfall near Benholm, underground cable corridor, onshore substation and grid connection to the planned Hurlie substation at Fetteresso Forest, where electricity will enter the UK National Grid.
The milestone follows completion of site optioneering, an Environmental Impact Assessment and extensive community consultation. The project is being developed by Thistle Wind Partners and is expected to supply power to more than one million homes once operational. Offshore consent applications are scheduled to follow in 2026.
The development aims to unlock a £1 billion opportunity for the supply chain. Earlier this month, the project confirmed plans to establish an operations and maintenance base in North East Scotland, representing £360 million in local expenditure and around 60 long-term skilled jobs.
Through its Supply Chain Pathways Programme, Bowdun seeks to support Scottish companies, including oil and gas specialists, in entering the offshore wind market. Working with Tier 1 contractor DEME Offshore, which has installed approximately 2,500 offshore wind turbines globally, local firms will be pre-qualified to compete for contracts on Bowdun and other international projects.
