Experienced planning and consents specialist Debbie Olson MRTPI has been appointed by Buchan Offshore Wind as Head of Consents and Land, a critical senior role responsible for driving the land and consenting delivery strategy for the nationally significant floating offshore wind energy infrastructure project.
Debbie previously held roles at ScottishPower where she was responsible for the development and consenting of a vast portfolio of onshore wind grid connection and strategic network reinforcement projects, as well as overseeing consent requirements for existing infrastructure refurbishments.
This led to a role at Bute Energy where she was responsible for the design and development of a proposed Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNO) network required to connect multiple onshore energy parks in Wales. Joining Buchan Offshore Wind as Onshore Consents Manager in 2023, Debbie has led the development of its onshore proposals through initial consultation and into the submission of its consent application in 2025.
Buchan Offshore Wind is developing a near 1 GW commercial scale floating offshore wind farm, located 75 km North-east of Fraserburgh, comprising up to 70 floating turbines on concrete foundations manufactured in Scotland.
Once operational, the project will generate enough clean energy to power over one million homes, contributing significantly to the UK’s long term energy security. The project is also expected to create 2,900 jobs during construction and deliver more than £2billion in economic value to Scotland over its lifetime.
As Head of Consents and Land, Debbie will lead the team through major milestones, including consent determination in 2026, Final Investment Decision (FID) in 2029 and the transition into construction by the end of the decade. This includes the discharge of key consent conditions associated with the offshore consent and marine licences, onshore planning consent as well as the negotiation of a complex, interlinked land acquisition programme.
Debbie has already played a leading role in shaping the project’s onshore development activities, having worked closely on routing and site selection of our onshore infrastructure, engaging with local communities and landowners throughout the site selection process to ensure they could influence the proposals by providing their views at each phase.
Commenting on her appointment, Debbie said: “Three great years at Buchan have gone past in a flash, and I am incredibly excited to be taking on this new role.
“This is a crucial year for Buchan Offshore Wind as we await the determination of our offshore consent applications from the Scottish Ministers and our application for Planning Permission in Principle from Aberdeenshire Council.
“I'm delighted to lead the team into the next phase of consenting and land acquisition. We’ve listened closely to local people and landowners throughout this journey, and as we refine our proposals and head towards FID, construction and delivery, we remain committed to continuing to listen and ensuring their voices help shape the way ahead.”