TotalEnergies has put its 2 GW West of Orkney offshore wind project on hold and called for transmission charge reforms (BBC, 22/01/2026). The wind park had been planned to generate electricity by 2029, but the consortium behind the project says that the high cost of connecting to the grid in Argyll and northern Scotland makes it uncompetitive compared with projects in England.
The project is being developed by a consortium including Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, and the Renewables Infrastructure Development Group (RIDG).
The West of Orkney Project Director stated that the current charging regime disadvantages projects in areas with the strongest wind resources, adding that transmission costs can increase project expenses by up to 30%, making it difficult for northern projects to compete with developments further south.
The UK Government said transmission charges are being reviewed as part of a wider assessment of electricity markets, while the Scottish Government has previously described the system as “counter-productive.”
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