Subsea Micropiles has signed an agreement to provide anchor engineering and conduct site investigations for the Pentland floating wind farm.
The floating wind project is being developed by Highland Wind Limited, which is majority-owned by a fund managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), in partnership with GB Energy, National Wealth Fund, Scottish National Investment Bank and Eurus Energy of Japan, with Hexicon as a minority shareholder. Project development activities are being led by CIP’s development partner, Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP).
Under the agreement with the developer, Subsea Micropiles will provide its expertise in site investigations and anchor design, including advanced cyclical loading analysis and offshore installation, to the 100 MW project, which secured a contract for difference (CfD) at the beginning of this year in the UK’s seventh allocation round (AR7).
According to information shared after the CfD award, a final investment decision (FID) on the Pentland project is expected to be made in 2027, with operations expected to commence in 2030.
For site investigations, Subsea Micropiles said it would apply its zonal survey approach to build a more complete understanding of ground conditions and support better-informed anchor design, and highlighted its Acoustic Zoom technology, which it says provides high-resolution volumetric imaging of the subsurface, helping bridge the gap between conventional geophysical surveys and point-specific geotechnical investigation.
“Floating offshore wind needs to find ways to reduce cost and better manage risk, and that requires us to look at the full picture. Delivering an optimised anchor solution requires that we understand the seabed in greater detail and have a scalable industrial solution to support installation”, said Derek Robertson, CEO of Subsea Micropiles.
The agreement for the Pentland floating wind farm was signed at Subsea Micropiles’ Montrose Facility on 28 September during a visit by the First Minister, John Swinney, when the company also announced a GBP 5 million (approximately EUR 6 million) investment over the next three years to expand its manufacturing and offshore operations at Montrose Port, supported by GBP 1.45 million (approx. EUR 1.7 million) from Scottish Enterprise.