Scottish Ministers have approved a variation application to refine the Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm’s offshore consents.
The variation includes a reduction in the number of turbines, which will be deployed within a smaller area, while maintaining 100MW capacity. The project’s operational lifespan will be up to 25 years.
The application was submitted after further survey work and advancements in project design allowed the proposals to be refined. The wind farm is located 7.5km off the coast of Dounreay, in Caithness, and will generate enough green electricity to power up to 70,000 homes.
Richard Copeland, Project Director, said:
“This is a significant milestone for the project and the floating offshore wind sector across Scotland and the UK.
“The Pentland project will pioneer a number of innovative technologies enabling the industrialisation of floating offshore wind along with delivering significant benefits to the local economy. We now have all key development requirements in place and are ready to move forward.
“Throughout the consent process we have prioritised sustainability, with the goal of minimising any negative environmental impacts of the project. We are confident this refined design is future proof and ensures we can deliver the same benefit to the local community, and Scotland’s energy sector, while further reducing the project’s environmental impacts.
“Our application has been shaped by the views of local communities and stakeholders and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Scottish Government, Marine Directorate and those stakeholders for their support and positive engagement throughout. We are committed to ensuring this project delivers real benefits to local communities as well as advancing Scotland’s floating wind expertise.”
The Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm is being developed by Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP) on behalf of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
