FOUR conservation charities are calling on Scottish Ministers to reject a renewables development off East Lothian which they say could wreak unacceptable levels of ecological damage, including to vulnerable seabird populations.

The National Trust for Scotland, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Seabird Centre and the Scottish Wildlife Trust have set out their concerns about the siting of the proposed new Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm in a letter to Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work Minister Gillian Martin MSP, as Scottish Ministers prepare to make a final decision on SSE Renewables’ (SSE-R) application for Berwick Bank.

The proposed wind farm, off the St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve (NNR) and the Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth, would be Scotland’s largest, with more than 300 wind turbines covering an area more than four times the size of Edinburgh.

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Ministers will have the final say on whether the application is approved once they have received the Scottish Government Marine Directorate’s recommendation on the proposal.

While supportive in principle of the expansion of offshore wind generation to combat climate change, the four conservation charities have highlighted a number of concerns about plans to site the wind farm so close to internationally significant seabird colonies.

Dr Cal Major, ocean and nature advocate, and ambassador for the National Trust for Scotland, said: “I strongly back this call for Scottish Ministers to reject the current Berwick Bank proposal and for SSE-R to re-site the wind farm to a less ecologically damaging location.

“Our conservation charity supports the expansion of offshore wind farms, which are a vital component of Scotland’s journey to net zero. However, they must be sited in the right places for nature.

"This location – off St Abb’s Head, with its precious seabird colonies – is clearly not the right site.

"Nature and biodiversity are vital assets in tackling climate change, and we must make sure we don’t put them at irreversible or unnecessary risk in transitioning to net zero – especially seabirds, which are such a vital part of the marine ecosystem.

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“One element that especially concerns us is Berwick Bank’s likely impact on seabirds, with predicted mortality rates much higher than other offshore windfarms.

"For example, seven times as many kittiwakes will be removed from the population per GW of energy produced than at Hornsea Three, where predicted impacts are already considered to be high.

“It’s surely unacceptable to create this additional threat to colonies when seabirds such as puffins, kittiwakes, gannets and razorbills are already under huge pressure from climate change, dwindling food supplies and avian flu.”

"Potentially profound implications"

 

Anne McCall, Director of RSPB Scotland, said: “We cannot address the climate crisis without addressing the nature crisis at the same time – the two are inextricably linked.

"The decision that Scottish Ministers are about to make will have potentially profound implications for our seabirds, which the latest seabird census identifies are under even greater threat than previously thought.

“The Scottish Government needs to carefully consider whether there are better alternatives to this development, and what the implications of permitting it might be for the many other offshore wind developments that will follow in its footsteps.”

Susan Davies, CEO of the Scottish Seabird Centre, said: “We are facing a nature crisis and must ensure that green energy is secured in ways which do not contribute to further loss.

"SSE-R have forged ahead with proposals that are not in an appropriate location or scale, ignoring their own modelling, which predicts significant losses to seabirds."

Jo Pike, CEO of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, added: “It is disappointing to see that SSE Renewables did not take the opportunity to address the concerns that several nature charities have been highlighting to them since March 2023.

"We are not opposed to the expansion of renewable energy as long as it’s in the appropriate location for people and nature.”

An SSE Renewables spokesperson said: “Nationally significant projects like Berwick Bank will be vital in delivering Scotland's offshore wind targets and ensuring the country fulfils its potential as a global leader in tackling both the climate and nature crises.

"As part of our consent application for Berwick Bank, we have put forward a comprehensive package of mitigation and compensatory measures to support this, and look forward to working with environmental organisations and others as this important project delivers for Scotland."