Pentland floating wind farm will ‘deliver same benefit’ with reduction in turbines
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Developers of a floating wind farm off the north coast of Caithness have been given the go-ahead to reduce the number of turbines from seven to six.
The change can be made to Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm while maintaining its 100MW capacity.
The wind farm is being planned by Highland Wind Limited at a site some 7.5km offshore from Dounreay.
The company says it is confident that it can deliver the same benefit to the community and Scotland’s energy sector “while further reducing the project’s environmental impacts”.
An application to vary the wind farm’s offshore consent was submitted last autumn to the Scottish Government's Marine Directorate, as a result of further survey work and "advancements in project design".
The reduced number of turbines will be deployed within a smaller area.
The turbines will be up to 300m high to their blade tips and the project’s operational lifespan will be up to 25 years.
Project director Richard Copeland 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 on behalf of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.
