The Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm has secured investment from Eurus Energy UK Ltd. (Eurus Energy) in another positive step forward following approval of its offshore consents application earlier this year.
Eurus Energy will become a part owner of the project being developed by Highland Wind Limited, which is majority owned by Flagship Funds managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) with Hexicon A/B as a minority shareholder.
Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation, a parent company of Eurus Energy, established its wind power generation business in the United States in 1987 and operates in 15 countries and regions, with a current concentration in Europe, the Americas, Asia-Oceania regions and Africa.
In April 2024, the wind farm, which will be located 7.5km off the coast of Dounreay in Caithness, received approval from Scottish Ministers on a variation application to refine its offshore consents. This included a reduction in the number of turbines, which will now be deployed within a smaller area while maintaining 100MW capacity.
The project’s operational lifespan will be up to 25 years, and it will generate enough green electricity to power up to 70,000 homes.
Richard Copeland, Project Director, said:
“International collaboration is essential for unlocking the full potential of floating wind technology. Collaborative efforts can stimulate growth, attract more investment and drive competition, further reducing costs and expanding the technology’s reach. This investment is a key milestone for the project and, now that we have all key development requirements in place, we are ready to move forward.
“Floating wind can transform renewable energy development and open opportunities for projects in locations which have previously proved challenging for fixed offshore wind. The Pentland project has the potential to pioneer a number of innovative technologies enabling the industrialisation of floating offshore wind along with delivering significant benefits to the local economy.
“The development and expansion of floating offshore wind is a key part of meeting international net zero targets, creating green jobs and delivering local supply chain benefits in Scotland and across the UK."
Tetsuya Suwabe, President and CEO of Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation, said:
“We are pleased to gain new knowledge in the field of offshore wind power through our investment and participation in this project, and to work toward further expansion of renewable energy. We will apply our experience and expertise gained over many years in the onshore wind power generation business to the offshore wind power generation business as well.
“Embodying our corporate philosophy of ‘helping to preserve the global environment by disseminating and expanding clean energy technologies’, we will contribute to the decarbonization of Scotland and continue to work towards creating a sustainable society.”
