By Kari Williamson

The AFL secures an option for the rights to use, as well as sets out the commercial terms for the use of the seabed, and a significant step towards entering construction of the offshore wind farm in 2014.

Located in the Outer Forth Estuary, the wind farm could deliver 3.7% of Scotland’s electricity demand when fully operational.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government’s Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) earmarked the offshore wind farm as one of only 6 in the current Scottish Territorial Waters programme suitable for development.

Mainstream plans to submit its application for Environmental Consents this year with a view to reaching financial close in 2013 and the start of construction in 2014.

Mainstream’s Chief Executive, Eddie O’Connor, says: “Mainstream is following a strategic risk diversification policy of investing in both onshore and offshore wind as well as solar. The profound electricity future for Europe is about offshore wind, in which Mainstream has established a pre-eminent position. In addition to a very large near-term build programme onshore across a number of jurisdictions, Mainstream is delighted to report on this progress of our offshore endeavours.”