Spiorad na Mara – a proposed offshore windfarm, located approximately 5-13km off the west coast of the Isle of Lewis – is proud to announce the first successful applicants to its newly established Scholarships Programme, which supports secondary school pupils from the Outer Hebrides with STEM or Gaelic language and
culture studies in Scottish universities.
Following assessment of all applications by an independent panel – consisting of members with relevant expertise, all of whom live in, or have strong connections to, the islands – five students have been awarded a total of £10,000 each to help advance their education and future careers, with £2,500 being paid out every year for a four-year degree course.
The successful recipients are:
- Archie Campbell, Sir E Scott School, Tarbert, Isle of Harris – Naval Architecture with High Performance Marine Vehicles, Strathclyde University
- Seoras MacDonald, Sir E Scott School, Tarbert, Isle of Harris – Mathematics, University of Edinburgh
- Niall MacDonald, Sgoil Lionacleit, Isle of Benbecula – Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Strathclyde University
- Mary Morrison, Nicolson Institute, Isle of Lewis – Undergraduate Celtic studies and English literature, University of Edinburgh
- Ellie Denehy, Castlebay School, Isle of Barra – Environmental geography and outdoor education, University of Stirling
“We are delighted to be able to support these five local students as they take their next step toward achieving their goals,” said Martin Whyte, Project Director. “We are committed to leaving a positive legacy locally through the delivery of the proposed Spiorad na Mara project and this is yet another practical demonstration of that commitment.”
“Before I started, I wasn’t sure if I would mix with people and actually enjoy university, but so far, it’s been really good and I’m enjoying my course and meeting new people. I would recommend it to anyone thinking about going,” said Archie Campbell. “The scholarship has helped a lot in these first few weeks, and I would encourage anyone considering a STEM course next year to apply to the programme when it’s advertised.”
“This grant has made it much easier for me to settle into university life, allowing me to join clubs, meet new people, and get more involved in the university community,” added Ellie Denehy. “Having this financial support means I don’t have to worry as much about money, so I can focus more on my studies and on developing in my sports.”
The Scholarships Programme was launched in April 2025, with five scholarships initially available. Applications will be invited for the next three academic years also, with a total commitment of £200,000 being made by the project, supporting 20 students1.
The programme is open to all final-year students at the four secondary schools in the Outer Hebrides: the Nicolson Institute (Lewis), Sir E Scott School (Harris), Sgoil Lionacleit (Benbecula) and Sgoil Bagh a Chaisteil (Barra). The five scholarships are available to support studies in STEM and Gaelic language and culture.
Spiorad na Mara is owned by Northland Power (75.5%) and ESB (24.5%), with Northland leading on the development, construction, and operation.
Contact:
Steve Thomas
Communications Lead, Northland Power
+44 (0)7359 614023
steve.thomas@northlandpower.com
About Spiorad na Mara
Spiorad na Mara is a proposed offshore wind farm, located approximately 5-13 km off the west coast of Lewis. With an expected installed capacity of around 900 MW, it could meet the equivalent average annual electricity needs of around 1.2 million2 Scottish homes with renewable electricity and save more than 1.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
Further information is available at www.spioradnamara.co.uk
1 Should a decision be taken at any point between 2025 and 2028 that the project will not proceed, no new intake of students into the programme would be accepted. However, commitments made to students who had already received a scholarship would be honoured, up to the end of their four-year programme.
2 More than 1.2 million homes powered per annum based on the average Scottish annual household electricity consumption of 3,078 kWh in 2022 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/regional-and-local-authority-electricity-consumption-statistics) together with a minimum projected 50% wind load factor and a projected installed capacity of up to 900MW.
About Northland Power
Northland Power is a Canada-based global power producer dedicated to accelerating the global energy transition. Founded in 1987, with almost four decades of experience, Northland has a long history of developing, owning and operating a diversified mix of energy infrastructure assets including offshore and onshore wind, solar, battery energy storage, and natural gas. Northland also supplies energy through a regulated utility.
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with global offices in seven countries, Northland owns or has an economic interest in 3.5 GW of gross operating generating capacity, 2.2 GW under construction and an inventory of early to mid-stage development opportunities encompassing approximately 10 GW of potential capacity.
Publicly traded since 1997, Northland’s Common Shares, Series 1 and Series 2 Preferred Shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols NPI, NPI.PR.A and NPI.PR.B, respectively.
About ESB
ESB is involved in six offshore wind projects and 2GW of onshore wind projects in Scotland, as part of its drive for a 5GW renewable electricity portfolio across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain by 2030. Since its foundation almost 100 years ago, ESB has always been fully invested in the lives of the customers and communities we serve. We have set a target to achieve net zero by 2040 and have committed to do this in a way that enables communities and natural habitats to thrive. Our focus is on developing and connecting renewables, building resilient infrastructure and empowering our customers to live healthier, more sustainable lives using clean electricity.