Peterhead floating wind farm will be world’s first

Wind turbines - stock

The world’s first floating wind farm will be formally opened today by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The 172-metre turbines will float about 15 miles from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, in far deeper waters than is possible with conventional offshore wind farms.

It has been developed by the Norwegian Government’s Statoil company, and is expected to provide enough energy for 20,000 homes.

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Sturgeon said: "This pilot project underlines the potential of Scotland's huge offshore wind resource and positions Scotland at the forefront of the global race to develop the next generation of offshore wind technologies.

"In addition to the green benefits of renewable energy, it also has a very significant contribution to make to our economy.

"I'm pleased Scottish suppliers have contributed to the Hywind project from the development through to the production phase and are still involved to investigate long-term potential for floating wind."

Wildlife charity RSPB Scotland has opposed the project amid fears the population of sea birds could be depleted by the number of wind farms in the area.