West of Orkney Windfarm

The West of Orkney Windfarm is a pioneering project in one of the windiest sites in Europe. We're now supporting engineering graduate Hamish Drain to undertake a PhD at Heriot-Watt University's Orkney campus to explore how to maximise the 'weather windows' on site - for example using satellite data to improve forecasting - which will help workers and vessels access the windfarm on more days of the year. The project is being funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Doctoral Training Partnership and is being sponsored by the West of Orkney project. The PhD will be supervised by Dr David Woolf, who lives and works in Orkney, and will include a placement with the West of Orkney team. Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, RIDG #offshorewind #O&M

Last month members of the West of Orkney Windfarm leadership team and board visited the vessels used by two of our key offshore geoscience contractors, Geo and GEOxyz, to understand their approaches to health, safety, environment and quality (HSEQ).    This served to build on the teamwork we aim to foster with all our contractors, and – most importantly – to demonstrate our commitment to safety for everyone we work with.    Visiting the vessels and speaking directly to the teams improves our understanding of the operations taking place on behalf of the project and the risks involved. It also reinforces our message directly, that nothing is so important that we cannot take the time to do it safely.    Operating at sea is of its nature hazardous and the visits, organized by our HSEQ Manager Allan MacDonald, brought home the need for every member of the team to do all they can to ensure a safe and successful campaign. #safetyfirst #offshorewind Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, RIDG

'Stronger together' is the motto of the Caithness Chamber of Commerce, and this unity of purpose shone through at their recent 50th anniversary annual dinner, where the West of Orkney Windfarm was proud to be the headline sponsor. The event was an absolute sell out and a great opportunity to celebrate the variety of successful businesses which are thriving in the far north - fostered by the chamber's 'can do' approach to helping companies grow. Speaking at the event, our project director Stuart McAuley outlined the potential for offshore wind to become the exciting next chapter in this region's energy evolution. #offshorewind #supplychain #opportunity Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, RIDG

It was great to be supporting and attending the UHI Islands Forum in Orkney last week. Developing a skilled workforce in the islands and in the north of Scotland will be crucial for the delivery and operation of ScotWind projects, and will help local communities thrive in the decades ahead. #skills #offshorewind Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, RIDG UHI Orkney, UHI North, West and Hebrides

🗒Ramboll has secured a contract for the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) services for the 2 GW West of Orkney Windfarm project offshore Scotland. Read here: https://lnkd.in/dSUqsRFR Corio Generation TotalEnergies #offshorewind #renewableenergy

Summer’s nearly over (did it ever begin?!) 😎   During July and August, members of the West of Orkney Windfarm team were in Caithness and Orkney to attend shows in Thurso, Halkirk, Dounby and Kirkwall. It was a great opportunity to meet people that might not otherwise come along to our formal consultation events, and to gather more useful feedback on our plans for the project.     Development Manager Jack Farnham tells us how it went.   Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, RIDG   #summershows #Caithness #Orkney

Over the past 18 months our terrific Orkney-based videographer Fionn McArthur has documented many of the people, places and organisations helping to bring the West of Orkney Windfarm vision to life - from our consenting team based in Stromness to the ports and harbours working tirelessly around our coast, from The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to an initiative to equip primary schoolchildren across the Highlands and Islands with the skills for a renewable energy future. Each person speaks with knowledge and passion on the potential that offshore wind can bring, so grab a coffee and take a look via our gallery link below. Thanks to: Allan MacDonald, Victoria McCusker, Andrea B., Amber Strachan, David Campbell, Jim Buck, Neil Kermode, Sandy Mackie, Iain Sinclair, Alison Wilson, Trudy Morris, Stuart McAuley, Joanne Allday, Liam McArthur, Calum MacPherson. Facilitating Change, Xodus, Orkney Harbours, EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre, Scrabster Harbour, Port of Nigg, UHI, Caithness Chamber of Commerce, Port of Cromarty Firth, Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, The Scottish Parliament. Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, RIDG #offshorewind, #opportunity

Summer's here! (allegedly... 😎) and we're looking forward to attending the following country shows: ·     Caithness Show, Thurso (Fri 19th & Sat 20th July) ·     Halkirk Highland Games, Halkirk (Sat 27th July) ·     Dounby Show, Dounby, Orkney (Thu 8th August) ·     Orkney County Show, Kirkwall, Orkney (Sat 10th August) Keep an eye out for the West of Orkney Windfarm stand – our ‘big chair’ will be there and we’ll be running a free kids’ competition to win some fantastic prizes!   Please drop by to say hello! Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, RIDG #summerishere

Last week representatives of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan visited Orkney, to find out about the West of Orkney Windfarm and the islands' historic links to Canada.   Ontario Teachers’ is one of the world’s largest institutional investors, and has been investing alongside Corio Generation since 2022 to support the development of up to 9 GW of offshore wind worldwide, including the West of Orkney Windfarm. Many thanks to Orkney Harbours, the Stromness Museum and EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre for such a warm welcome!   #offshorewind #investment   Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, RIDG

What a terrific turnout last week at the The Scotsman Highlands & Islands Green Energy Conference in Inverness. One takeaway was the genuine enthusiasm and willingness of businesses and organisations across the north of Scotland to do what they can to realise the opportunities a thriving Scottish offshore wind sector will bring. However, as our own Project Director Stuart McAuley emphasised, a burgeoning home-grown industry is by no means a 'slam dunk', and many elements need to fall into place and on time - not least consents, infrastructure and inward investment. Thanks again to our session chair Nicola McAlley and expert panellists Calum MacPherson, Karel Drastich and Kateryna McKinnon who offered so many constructive ideas. #offshorewind, #portsandharbours, #HIGreenEnergy24 Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, RIDG Scotsman Conferences and Events