Vestas Will Supply Turbines for 1.1-GW Scottish Offshore Wind Project

Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas said the company will supply, install, and commission dozens of the company's 15-MW turbines for the 1.1-GW Inch Cape offshore wind project in Scotland. The company on Dec. 16 said the order is for 72 of Vestas' V236-15.0-MW turbines. The Inch Cape site is in the North Sea, about 9 miles offshore the town of Angus. The first offshore installations are scheduled to take place in 2026, with the wind farm expected to be fully operational in 2027. Inch Cape Offshore is a 50-50 joint venture between ESB Energy, an Irish company that has operated in the UK since 1992, and Red Rock Renewables, a renewable energy developer headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. Vestas on Monday said the project’s turbines will be 274 meters tall, and will be installed on monopile and jacket foundations in water depths ranging between 34 meters and 64 meters. The company said the monopiles will among the largest in the world, with lengths up to 110 meters, a maximum diameter of 11.5 meters, and weighing 2,700 tons. Nils de Baar, president of Vestas Northern and Central Europe, in a statement said: "We are incredibly proud to have partnered with our trusted customers on this project. Inch Cape will have a significant impact on the UK's sustainable energy future, and we are grateful to stand at the forefront of this transition." De Baar continued, "Together with our partners, we are making significant strides towards the UK government's commitment to quadruple offshore wind by 2030, as a cornerstone of its goal to fully decarbonize electricity by 2030." The wind farm's equipment will include a 66kV/220kV substation installed on a jacket foundation. Electricity will be transmitted via two 220kV subsea export cables to Cockenzie, East Lothian. Vestas said the project will be operated and maintained from a purpose-built facility at the Port of Montrose, Angus. "Securing the full notice to proceed on the agreement is a great milestone for the project," said John Hill, Inch Cape's project director. "The 72 V236-15.0 MW turbines are the latest state-of-the-art turbines from Vestas and will generate more than 5 terawatt hours of renewable electricity each year, making an important contribution to the UK's energy security and representing a valuable reduction in carbon emissions." Construction of the topside and jacket foundation for the offshore substation is underway. Fabrication is occurring at the Smulders yard in Wallsend, near Newcastle, UK. Fabrication of the project's export cables also has begun, along with site preparation surveys along the cable route. Cable installation is scheduled to begin next year. Vestas also will have a 10-year service agreement for the project, along with an operational support arrangement. First offshore installations should take place in 2026, with the wind farm set to be fully operational in 2027. —Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.