Together, these massive offshore wind farms would have an energy generating capacity of as much as 2.2GW

Oct 10, 2014 22:03 GMT  ·  By

Scotland is dead set on having 100% of its gross energy needs met by renewables alone by the year 2020. Hoping to meet this target, the country is busy investing in solar, wind and other forms of clean energy.

This October 10, Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing announced that the country's Government had given the green light to plans to implement four new offshore wind farm projects.

Information shared with the public says that, if built, these offshore facilities would have a combined energy generating capacity of 2.5GW, Business Green reports.

Interestingly enough, the wind farms are expected to not only help Scotland green up its ways, but to also inject the country's economy with some much-needed cash.

It is estimated that, apart from creating thousands of job opportunities, the projects will be worth about £314 million to £1.2 billion (€398 million to €1.5 billion / $507 million to $1.9 billion) to the economy.

Of the four projects, i.e. Neart Na Gaoithe, Inch Cape, Seagreen Alpha and Seagreen Bravo, it is Neart Na Gaoithe that specialists expect will first be completed. This should happen sometime in 2018.

With some luck, it will not be long before the other three massive offshore wind farms are switched on as well and start producing clean energy.

Just to help put things into perspective, it need be said that, despite its huge potential to generate clean energy by harvesting offshore wind power, Scotland has until now built just one commercial-scale offshore wind farm.