Pentland reaffirms commitment to Scrabster Harbour as preferred operations base

Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm has reaffirmed its commitment to Scrabster Harbour as its preferred operations and maintenance (O&M) base as the project progresses towards delivery.

Located off the coast of Dounreay, Pentland is a floating offshore wind project which, once operational, will have the capacity to generate enough renewable electricity to power up to 70,000 homes. In 2025, the project welcomed new partners in Great British Energy, The National Wealth Fund and Scottish National Investment Bank, and in 2026, it secured a Contract for Difference (CfD) from the UK Government. 

Members of the Pentland project team visited Scrabster Harbour as part of a wider visit to Caithness and the Highlands, meeting with the Harbour Trust to progress discussions around the facilities that could support the wind farm during its operational lifetime.

Pentland and Scrabster Harbour Trust first signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2021, committing to work together on the development of O&M requirements, services and facilities for the project.  

Scrabster remains Pentland’s preferred location for its O&M base, with the project and Harbour Trust also looking to update their existing MoU to reflect the project’s progress and latest requirements.

Richard Copeland, Project Director for Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm, said: “Scrabster has been an important part of our plans for Pentland for a number of years and remains our preferred location for the project’s operations and maintenance base.

“Securing our CfD earlier this year was an important milestone and, as the project progresses, we are now able to look in more detail at what we will need during operations. This visit has been a valuable opportunity to continue that work with the Scrabster team and explore the facilities that could support Pentland over the long term.

“We remain committed to working with organisations and businesses across Caithness and the Highlands as we develop our plans, with the aim of ensuring Pentland creates lasting opportunities for the area.”

Ryan Maclean, Trust Manager and Executive Director at Scrabster Harbour Trust, said: “We were pleased to welcome the Pentland team back to Scrabster and continue the relationship we have developed over a number of years.

“Scrabster has significant experience supporting the offshore energy sector and we look forward to continuing to work with Pentland as the project progresses.”

The Scrabster meeting formed part of a wider programme of engagement by the Pentland team across the Highlands, including discussions with local organisations, infrastructure providers and other stakeholders about the services and capabilities that could support the project.