100 MW Scottish Floating Wind Project to Deliver Lifetime Expenditure of GBP 419 Million

The 100 MW Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland is estimated to deliver lifetime expenditure of GBP 419 million in the UK and to support the creation of up to 1,385 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs.

This is according to supply chain information submitted to Crown Estate Scotland in a format consistent with a Supply Chain Development Statement (SCDS), which is now mandatory for all ScotWind developers.

Although the Pentland project is not part of the ScotWind process, it chose to submit this information to demonstrate best practice and to reaffirm its commitment to local communities, according to the developer Highland Wind Limited, which is majority owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) with Hexicon as a minority shareholder.

To inform the submission, Pentland carried out a supply chain mapping exercise and local content assessment to understand regional capabilities and the geographical breakdown of project expenditure, supported by locally based consultancy Xodus and the University of the Highlands and Islands.

The project’s projected lifetime expenditure of GBP 419 million is in line with its 40-60 per cent lifetime UK content aim, the developer says.

Of the total forecast number of jobs the Pentland floating wind farm will create, 1,300 FTE supply chain jobs will be created during construction and 85 FTE during the operation of the floating wind project.

“These are significant figures for floating wind in Scotland and the UK. They showcase our commitment to the country’s floating offshore wind sector and nurturing the development of local supply chain capabilities ahead of ScotWind project development – a fundamental aim of this project”, said Project Director Richard Copeland.

“We have also taken steps to ensure early visibility of future opportunities and engage with the supply chain as widely as possible. Over the last few months, we’ve held a series of events to give an overview of the work packages on offer and will continue to organise more of these in 2023”.

Scott Hamilton, Head of Offshore Renewables at Xodus said: “The project marks an important stepping-stone in progressing the floating offshore wind supply chain in the UK, providing key insights into the strengths and capability gaps of Scottish and wider UK companies”.

As reported earlier, the goal of the Pentland floating wind farm, which will be located 7.5 kilometres off the coast of Dounreay in Caithness, is to test and demonstrate floating wind technology solutions that will reduce costs and accelerate industrialisation.

Last month, the consortium behind the project announced it had selected Stiesdal Offshore’s TetraSub as the floating foundation technology for the 100 MW wind farm.

The TetraSub floating foundation is said to be the world’s first fully industrialised floating offshore technology, offering a lightweight and cost-effective floating foundation made up of factory-made modules.

The Pentland project will also offer learnings to inform the development of future floating projects in Scotland and the UK, such as those selected through ScotWind, INTOG, and the Celtic Sea leasing rounds, according to the developer.

The floating wind farm is planned to be operational in 2026, from when it will provide enough green energy for almost 70,000 homes per year.

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