Scottish nature charities warn against Berwick Bank project

The proposed Berwick Bank wind farm would cover an area four times the size of Edinburgh off the East Lothian coast, and the charities fear it would threaten internationally important seabird populations.

They predict that the development will kill tens of thousands of seabirds, with many more losing their vital feeding areas.

RSPB Scotland, Marine Conservation Society, National Trust for Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Scottish Seabird Centre have all called for action to protect Scotland's wildlife.

They have urged Scottish Ministers to refuse the Berwick Bank development, which they claim is blocking the progress of less damaging offshore wind projects due to the scale of its impacts.

Anne McCall, director of RSPB Scotland, said: "Offshore wind has a key role in tackling the climate and nature emergency. We fully support well-sited wind farms which work with nature.

"But they are being held back by a major spanner in the works.

"Berwick Bank would be catastrophic for Scotland’s globally important seabirds.

"Its impacts are so damaging it is blocking plans for new, less-harmful wind farms."

The proposed site for Berwick Bank is 40km off the East Lothian coast, close to iconic seabird sites like the Bass Rock and Isle of May.

Each turbine would be taller than the Eiffel Tower and almost six times the height of the Scott Monument.

The charities claim that the project is so devastating for seabirds that it is blocking opportunities for new, less damaging offshore wind projects.

Diarmid Hearns, interim director of conservation and policy at the National Trust for Scotland, said: "The National Trust for Scotland cares for St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve, which is home to approximately 45,000 seabirds during breeding season, including protected kittiwake, guillemot, razorbill and shag species.

"Climate change is one of the biggest threats to seabirds and offshore wind development is important to meet Scotland's climate ambitions, therefore we are fully supportive of it.

"However, installations must be located with sensitivity to the very habitats we're trying to protect from climate impacts.

"The proposed site for Berwick Bank is likely to cause high levels of ecological damage and severely impact the seabird colonies at St Abb's Head."

The charities argue that if Berwick Bank goes ahead, it would be almost impossible for other projects like Ossian, a similar-sized wind farm using the latest floating turbine technology, to proceed due to their combined impacts on Scotland’s globally important seabird populations.

Harry Huyton, CEO at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick, said: "The Firth of Forth is home to globally important seabird populations, including the world’s largest colony of gannets on Bass Rock.

"Most of Scotland's seabird species are already in decline and Berwick Bank threatens to undermine attempts to restore populations by killing and displacing tens of thousands of seabirds.

"It is simply the wrong place for an offshore wind farm."

Alex Meredith, SSE Renewables’ Berwick Bank project director, said: “Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is critical to ensuring we prevent the worst possible impacts of climate change which, according to the most recent expert assessment, is the biggest single threat to Scottish seabirds.

“The UN has already warned the world could warm by a massive 3.1C this century without greater action.  

“Developing a world-leading offshore wind industry, with projects of the scale and ambition of Berwick Bank, is a key part of combating the catastrophic consequences of that.

“But the reality is that Berwick Bank has now been in planning for almost 30 months and, whilst we will always continue to work constructively with stakeholders, we must move forward urgently with action and delivery for the climate and our iconic Scottish seabirds.”