Scotland's First Minister, John Swinney, has visited Eyemouth to officially mark the completion and full operational status of the nation's newest offshore wind farm, Neart na Gaoithe (NnG), translated as "Strength of the wind".

During a tour of NnG's state-of-the-art operations and maintenance base in Eyemouth, the First Minister met with local workers, schoolchildren, and community groups who are already benefiting from the project. The wind farm, situated 15.5km off the coast of Fife, comprises 54 wind turbines with a generating capacity of up to 450 megawatts (MW) of clean, green electricity. This output is sufficient to power approximately 375,000 homes and will offset over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

Co-owned by EDF power solutions UK and Ireland and ESB, the NnG project has directly contributed around £200 million to the Scottish economy through its engagement with local supply chains. This includes more than 50 suppliers based in and around Scotland during the wind farm's construction, such as Forth Ports at the Port of Dundee, Perth-based civil engineering firm I&H Brown, Briggs Marine in Burntisland, and Inverkeithing-based Muir Construction Ltd.

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The wind farm's operations and maintenance base, which opened in January 2023, is already deeply integrated into the Eyemouth community. It will continue to provide 50 high-quality jobs over the wind farm's 25-year lifespan. For the past three years, NnG has supported initiatives across Scotland's east coast, awarding local sponsorships and grants to over 25 community organisations, including the Berwickshire Marine Education Centre and the Anstruther Harbour Festival. A community benefit fund is also set to launch later this summer for communities closest to the wind farm and its onshore substation.

First Minister John Swinney said: "Offshore wind is one of Scotland's greatest modern success stories. Seeing NnG up close and hearing about the positive impact it will have on the local area for decades to come, including the creation of around 50 high quality jobs over the next 25 years, showcases the enormous benefits offshore wind will bring to communities across the country."

Matthieu Hue, Chief Executive of EDF power solutions UK and Ireland, commented: "The completion of NnG is a fantastic achievement and is the culmination of years of hard work from many colleagues. Seeing the wind farm fully operational is a major milestone as is welcoming First Minister John Swinney here today to see the site up close and hear first-hand about the significant benefits it is already bringing to the local economy and will continue to bring over its 25-year lifespan."

Jim Dollard, ESB's Executive Director Generation and Trading, highlighted NnG as a significant step in ESB's progress towards net zero, contributing to carbon emission reduction and supporting the Scottish economy. NnG Project Director, Matthias Haag, praised the team's ability to navigate complex challenges, including tough weather and the global pandemic, to deliver the project. He also reiterated the pride in the significant impact on Scotland's supply chain and the ongoing support for grassroots initiatives.