02 February 2024.
Arven Offshore Wind Farm (“Arven”) is hosting a formal public engagement event for the local community. The event will provide an opportunity for community stakeholders to learn more about the project and help shape early plans for the offshore elements of its development.

Since the awarding of seabed leases to the project last year, Arven’s co-developers – Ocean Winds and Mainstream Renewable Power – have been actively consulting with key community and stakeholder representatives to ensure that the project is fully informed of community expectations. Recognising the significance of early engagement, the project team values the input of stakeholders in shaping offshore planning considerations for the project.

The public event will be held at Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick on 21 February from 2pm until 8pm. A virtual consultation event will also be available for those unable to attend in person.

This formal consultation is part of pre-scoping activities ahead of Arven developing the offshore segments of its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The EIA will result in a report to accompany the planning application for the offshore wind farm, which will identify, evaluate and mitigate impacts from development.

Ewan Walker, Project Director for Arven, said:
“Arven is dedicated to championing economic opportunities for Shetland, fostering investment and promoting inclusivity. Engagement is important to us – we want to reach a diverse range of people to inform the development of our plans.

“Arven’s dedicated project team has already been working behind the scenes in consultation with key stakeholders, including those in the local supply chain and fishing industry. This event, part of our pre-scoping application, marks our first formal opportunity to invite wider community input, listen intently to views, and deliver on our commitment to progress the project with integrity.”

For media enquiries please contact Gaby Beaton, Communication Executive at Aspect:
The Strategic Communication Experts, on gaby.beaton@weareaspect.com or +44 (0)7869 808150

About Arven Offshore Wind Farm
The Arven Offshore Wind Farm (“Arven”) is a 2.3 GW floating offshore wind project composed of two sites: one 1.8 GW site in the NE1 area east of the Shetland Islands, and another 500 MW site located to the south. The 2.3GW capacity represents the equivalent annual consumption of two million homes. Arven is being developed by Mainstream Renewable Power and Ocean Winds under a 50:50 joint venture.

Both shareholders (Ocean Winds and Mainstream Renewable Power) have a strong track record in commitment to developing regional and local infrastructure, and local industry will be at the core of Arven’s development. Positive engagement is now well established with the fishing industry, local supply chain, Lerwick Port Authority, Shetland Islands Council and economic development agencies. Arven is expected to bring direct and indirect job opportunities to Shetland during the construction phase, plus long-term positions once operational.

More information: www.arvenoffshorewind.com