In response to consent being given by the Scottish Government to the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) in Aberdeen Bay, Niall Stuart, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables , said:
“The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre will be a unique testing facility for the development of offshore wind turbines and technology. It will create an opportunity for companies in Scotland to develop new technology and new techniques that will be central to the development of offshore wind, and projects like this are key to increasing scale and cutting costs, which will drive down costs for consumers.
“It also has the potential to be at the centre of an important training hub for people working in the sector and provide valuable lessons in everything from design to installation, to operation and ultimately decommissioning.
“Already, international companies such as Gamesa and Samsung have announced their intention to bring assembly and manufacturing opportunities here, and this year will also see deployment of two 7MW turbines at Methil and Hunterston – the biggest wind turbines deployed anywhere in the world.
“All of that puts Scotland very much in the vanguard of this exciting new industry.”
[mappress]
Press release, March 26, 2013; Image: scottishrenewables