Objection to the Northlands wind farm on the Isle of Lewis: EIR release

Information requested

What modelling the Government may have done in relation to this project [N4] or similar:

• to calculate the return to investors and public subsidy required to support this investment
• the risks associated with such developments
• the maximum scale of offshore turbines that

A clarification was sent to you on 10/10/2024, as it appeared that the 3rd bullet point of your request was left unfinished in your correspondence: “the maximum scale of offshore turbines that”.

You did not respond by the deadline set in the clarification sent to you and therefore this response uses the interpretation that you are looking for information on the maximum scale (Gigawatt capacity) of offshore turbines that were assessed for the N4 Plan option area in the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (2020).

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Most of the information you have requested is available online.

The Scottish Government does not undertake modelling of individual offshore wind projects, and instead takes a strategic approach. The current Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMPOWE) adopted in October 2020 was established to identify sustainable plan options for the future development of commercial-scale offshore wind energy in Scotland, including deep water wind technologies, and covers both Scottish inshore and offshore waters. Following a public consultation on the draft SMP-OWE (2020), the final plan adopted 15 Plan Options, providing the spatial framework for the first cycle of seabed leasing for commercial-scale offshore wind by Crown Estate Scotland (the 'ScotWind' leasing round). An update to this Plan is currently in development following an Iterative Plan Review process.

As part of the sectoral marine planning process for the SMP-OWE 2020 the Draft Plan Options were subject to several impact assessments, which have been outlined and linked below. Further information on the overall sectoral marine planning process can be found in the Sustainability Appraisal at this link: http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781839603785.

“To calculate the return to investors and public subsidy required to support this investment”

As previously mentioned, the Scottish Government does not undertake modelling (or similar) to calculate the return to investors and public subsidy required to support investment for individual proposed projects. However, socio-economic considerations were included in the strategic planning for the SMP-OWE (2020). The socio-economic impact assessment (available here: http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781839603792 ) aimed to identify and assess the potential economic effects of a proposed development or policy on the lives and circumstances of people, their families and their communities. The assessment considered the potential cumulative positive and negative economic impacts, and associated potential social impacts, of implementing the SMP-OWE. It also considered the potential positive and negative economic impacts, and associated potential social impacts, of implementing the suite of measures overall. This assessment provides economic information for each Draft Plan Option area, including N4.

Socio-economic impacts for all of the Plan Option areas are also summarised within the SMP-OWE (2020) (available here: Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (www.gov.scot)) between Pg 39 - 58.

“The risks associated with such developments” are covered in the Impact Assessments that were carried out as part of the Sectoral Marine Plan development. These include the:

Socio-Economic Impact Assessment http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781839603792
Strategic Environmental Assessment http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781839603761
Habitats Regulations Assessment http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781839603754
Sustainability Appraisal http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781839603785
Draft Partial Islands Communities Impact Assessment Sectoral marine plan: islands communities impact assessment - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Draft Partial Equalities Impact Assessment Sectoral marine plan: equalities impact assessment - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The maximum scale (Gigawatt capacity) of offshore turbines that were assessed for Plan option areas, including N4, can be found in the SMP-OWE (2020) linked here: Sectoral marine plan for offshore wind energy - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). The realistic maximum development scenario (in Gigawatts) for all plan options can be found in Table 1 on Pg 32. More detail on all of the plan option areas can be found from Pg 38 onwards, with specific information on N4 on Pg 44.

As your request focussed on the Plan Option area N4, located off the West Coast of Lewis, I have also linked a recently published EIR on the same topic that may be of interest to you: Offshore Wind Farm location: N4 (Outer Hebrides): EIR release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Additionally, I have linked the scoping opinion issued by Scottish Ministers for N4 as well as the consultation representations: Scoping Opinion - Spiorad na Mara Limited - Spiorad na Mara Offshore Wind Farm | marine.gov.scot.

Under regulation 6(1)(b) of the EIRs, we do not have to give you information which is already publicly available and easily accessible to you in another form or format. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Information provided outwith the EIRs

As part of your request, you posed an additional question:

“Finally, why cant other communities that Northlands has engaged with on similar scale projects or other projects that are now being operated, for example, in Shetland, be invited by Marine Scotland to talk and present what there experiences are?”.

This question does not fall within the remit of EIRs, and therefore has not been treated as such, however I have provided a response below:

All public engagement associated with the Sectoral Marine Plan is undertaken via Statutory Public Consultation. This includes an open consultation online via Citizen Space (responses are also accepted via email and post) accompanied by a roadshow of consultation events across Scotland which are run by Scottish Government officials. With regards to SMP-OWE (2020), there were 2 consultations. The first was the Offshore Wind Sectoral Marine Plan Scoping Consultation (18 July - 13 June 2018) followed by a second statutory consultation on the Draft Plan and assessments (18 December 2019 - 25 March 2020). For the updated SMP-OWE, which is currently under development, there will be another statutory public consultation and roadshow in 2025.

Specific engagement with Offshore Windfarm developers is not led by the Scottish Government, or more specifically the Marine Directorate (formerly Marine Scotland). The Scottish Government does however, encourage offshore wind developers to engage with local communities.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.