Buchan Offshore Wind has appointed experienced planning and consents professional Debbie Olson MRTPI as Head of Consents and Land, a senior position charged with delivering the project's land and consenting strategy for its nationally significant floating offshore wind development.

Olson brings extensive experience from ScottishPower, where she oversaw development and consenting for a large portfolio of onshore wind grid connections and strategic network reinforcement projects, alongside consent requirements for infrastructure refurbishments. She later joined Bute Energy to lead the design and development of a proposed Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNO) network to connect multiple onshore energy parks in Wales. Since arriving at Buchan Offshore Wind in 2023 as Onshore Consents Manager, she has led the onshore proposals from early consultation through to submission of the project's consent application in 2025.

The Buchan Offshore Wind project is targeting around 1GW of capacity and is planned 75 km northeast of Fraserburgh, comprising up to 70 floating turbines set on concrete foundations manufactured in Scotland.

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Once operational, it is expected to generate enough clean electricity to power more than one million homes, supporting the UK's long-term energy security.

The development is forecast to create 2,900 jobs during construction and deliver over £2 billion of economic value to Scotland across its lifetime.

In her new role, Olson will steer the team through major milestones, including consent determination in 2026, a Final Investment Decision (FID) in 2029 and the transition into construction before the end of the decade. This will involve discharging key consent conditions tied to offshore consent and marine licences, securing onshore planning consent, and negotiating a complex, interlinked land acquisition programme.

Olson has already helped shape the project's onshore development, working on routing and site selection for onshore infrastructure and engaging closely with local communities and landowners so their feedback could inform the proposals at every stage.

Commenting on her appointment, Debbie Olson said: "Three great years at Buchan have gone past in a flash, and I am incredibly excited to be taking on this new role.

"This is a crucial year for Buchan Offshore Wind as we await the determination of our offshore consent applications from the Scottish Ministers and our application for Planning Permission in Principle from Aberdeenshire Council.

"I'm delighted to lead the team into the next phase of consenting and land acquisition. We've listened closely to local people and landowners throughout this journey, and as we refine our proposals and head towards FID, construction and delivery, we remain committed to continuing to listen and ensuring their voices help shape the way ahead."