Scottish $2.6 Bln Offshore Wind Project Green Lighted

The developer of a 2 billion pound ($2.6 billion) Scottish offshore wind power project said on Wednesday it had won a two-year court battle with a bird charity over plans for the site.

Scottish ministers in 2014 approved plans to build the 450-megawatt Neart na Gaoithe wind farm, off Scotland’s east coast. The project had been held up, however, by a legal challenge from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which said it could cause the death of hundreds of native birds.

Mainstream Renewable Power, the developer, said the decision in Scotland's Court of Session cleared the way for the project, which could generate enough electricity to power up to 325,000 homes - almost 4 percent of Scotland's electricity demand.

"We are delighted with the decision and look forward to working constructively with the RSPB to take the wind farm into construction next year," Andy Kinsella, Mainstream Power's chief operating officer, said in a statement.

The RSPB could not immediately be reached for comment.