Ocean Winds has secured offshore consent from the Scottish Government for its Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm, clearing the final major regulatory hurdle for a two-gigawatt project that the company says will be capable of generating enough clean electricity to power the equivalent of two million homes.

The announcement, made on July 17, 2026, represents a significant milestone for the Edinburgh-based joint venture, which is owned equally by EDP Renewables and ENGIE. The Caledonia site, located in the Moray Firth approximately 40 kilometres from shore, is being developed as part of Crown Estate Scotland's ScotWind leasing round.

Final Regulatory Hurdle Cleared

The Scottish Government's offshore consent follows Aberdeenshire Council granting full onshore consent earlier this year, meaning the project has now passed through all of its major planning and regulatory requirements. With both consents secured, Ocean Winds says Caledonia can now advance towards the next phase of project delivery.

Mark Baxter, Caledonia Project Director, described the decision as the culmination of years of work by the project team. "We would also like to thank the many stakeholders and communities who have engaged constructively with the project throughout the consenting process," Baxter said. "The Scottish Government's decision to grant consent is greatly welcomed and allows us to press ahead with this exciting project."

Baxter also highlighted the scale of what the project would add to the existing generation in the region. "At 2GW, Caledonia will double the energy generation of the Moray Firth, supporting the UK's aim of bolstering energy security, decarbonising the power system and transitioning jobs," he said.

Jobs and Supply Chain Investment Across the Moray Firth

Ocean Winds describes itself as Scotland's largest offshore wind operator, and Caledonia is positioned as the third pillar of its presence in the Moray Firth, alongside its existing Moray East and Moray West projects.

The company says that when taken together with those two sister projects, Caledonia will take Ocean Winds' long-term operational jobs in the region to over 200 skilled roles.

The company characterises the investment opportunity unlocked by the project as significant for both Scotland and the wider United Kingdom, pointing to the potential for strengthening local supply chains and creating what it describes as a new generation of highly skilled jobs. Ocean Winds has stated that Caledonia will create lasting socio-economic benefits for local communities in the region.

The project is described by the company as a multi-billion-pound development, though a precise capital expenditure figure was not disclosed in the announcement.

Construction Timeline Contingent on CfD and Investment Decision

Despite the regulatory progress, Ocean Winds has made it clear that construction remains conditional on further commercial and financial steps. The company expects to begin offshore construction in 2030, but only subject to the project first securing a Contract for Difference, the UK government's primary mechanism for supporting renewable energy projects, and subsequently reaching a final investment decision.

Adam Morrison, UK Country Manager for Ocean Winds, welcomed the Scottish Government's decision but used the announcement to draw attention to what he described as unresolved issues in the wider policy environment affecting the project's path to construction.

"Caledonia is built on Ocean Winds' proud legacy in the Moray Firth; this welcome decision by the Scottish Government to grant offshore consent allows us to write the next chapter," Morrison said.

Transmission Charges Cited as Critical Obstacle

However, Morrison was explicit that market uncertainty, and in particular the structure of transmission charges, remains the decisive factor in determining whether Caledonia can proceed to the final investment decision as planned.

"Despite this positive step forward for Scotland's offshore wind sector, uncertainty in market signals, namely transmission charges, remain the critical factor in determining whether projects like Caledonia can proceed to FID as planned," Morrison said.

He directed his comments specifically at the system of Transmission Network Use of System charges, known as TNUoS, which govern how generators connect to and use the national electricity grid.

The charges have been a longstanding point of contention for Scottish renewable energy developers, who have argued the current structure places Scottish generators at a disadvantage compared to projects located further south in Great Britain.

"If the UK is serious about energy security, it needs Scottish offshore wind. And if it wants Scottish offshore wind at the lowest cost to consumer, it must fix TNUoS," Morrison said.

ScotWind Ambitions Take Shape

Caledonia is one of the projects awarded development rights under Crown Estate Scotland's ScotWind leasing round, which was designed to open up a new generation of large-scale offshore wind development in Scottish waters.

The project's progress through the consenting process represents one of the more advanced examples of a ScotWind project moving towards the construction phase.

Ocean Winds now faces the task of securing a CfD allocation in a future auction round before it can move forward with a final investment decision. The UK government's CfD scheme has faced scrutiny from developers in recent years over strike price levels and the competitiveness of auction parameters for offshore wind.

The combination of full consent and an established construction timeline of 2030 places Caledonia among the more clearly defined large-scale offshore wind projects in the Scottish pipeline, though the commercial path to that date remains dependent on policy decisions outside the company's direct control.

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