Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm

Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm
CountryScotland, United Kingdom
LocationPentland Firth, north of Dounreay
Coordinates58°37.776′N 3°50.422′W / 58.629600°N 3.840367°W / 58.629600; -3.840367
StatusProposed
Commission dateExpected 2030
Wind farm
TypeOffshore
Site area35.3 km2 (13.6 sq mi)
Power generation
Units planned6 × 15.4 MW
Nameplate capacity92.5 MW (proposed)
External links
Websitehttps://pentlandfloatingwind.com/

The Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm, previously known as Dounreay Trì is a proposed project located in the Pentland Firth, north of the Scottish mainland which will use six floating wind turbines. The project is located about 7.5 km (4.7 mi; 4.0 nmi) offshore from Dounreay, in Caithness.[1]

The project is being developed by Highland Wind Limited, which has a majority of funds managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).[2] Other partners include Eurus Energy and Hexicon.[3] Construction and operations are expected to create around 1000 jobs and provide power for 70,000 homes, according to the developers.[2]

In January 2026, Phase 1 of the project was awarded Contracts for Difference for 92.5 MW at £216.49/MWh (2024 prices), as part of the seventh Allocation Round.[4][3] The final investment decision is expected in 2027.[1]

Development, planning and consenting

In February 2017, The Highland Council granted permission for the Dounreay Trì project. This proposed two 154 m (505 ft) diameter turbines mounted on a triangular floating platform, moored about 6 km (3.7 mi; 3.2 nmi) offshore, plus subsea cables and an onshore substation building.[5] In March 2017, the Scottish Government also approved the 12 MW project, making it the third floating wind project in Scotland after Hywind Scotland and Kincardine floating offshore wind farm.[6] However, progress on the project stalled.

In 2017, the project was put up for sale. It would have been eligible for subsidy in the form of 3.5 Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) per MWh, if construction had been completed by the September 2018 deadline.[7]

In 2021, the project was revived by CIP, setting up Highland Wind Limited to develop the project, renamed as the Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm. A new application would be submitted for the revised proposals, with commissioning expected in 2026.[8]

Offshore environmental surveys for the project were conducted from summer 2021 to summer 2023.[9]

In 2022, prior to an application to Marine Scotland, the consortium developing the project halved the proposed area. It also reduced the maximum number of turbines to seven, from the previous proposals for ten. At that point, the project was expected to be developed in two phases, starting with a single demonstrator expected in 2025, followed by a further six turbines in 2026.[10]

In November 2022, the planning application was submitted to the Highland Council.[11] The onshore works were granted planning permission in principle in January 2023.[12]

In April 2024, Eurus Energy UK invested in the project, becoming a part owner in the project with CIP as the majority shareholder.[13]

In November 2025, up to £50m of investment in the project from the National Wealth Fund, Great British Energy and the Scottish National Investment Bank was announced.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Davidson, John (14 January 2026). "'A real opportunity' as Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm wins UK deal for power price". Northern Times. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b Hamilton, Liza (14 January 2026). "Major Caithness wind farm to support 1,000 jobs after contract success". Press and Journal. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Q&A: What UK's record auction for offshore wind means for bills and clean power by 2030". Carbon Brief. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  4. ^ "Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7: results". GOV.UK. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  5. ^ "Floating turbines project approved by councillors". BBC News. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  6. ^ "Dounreay floating wind farm project given ministerial approval". Scottish Construction Now. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  7. ^ Tsanova, Tsvetomira (1 August 2017). "UPDATE - Scottish floating wind project for sale under administration". Renewables Now. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  8. ^ Durakovic, Adnan (18 June 2021). "CIP Revives Floating Wind Project Offshore Scotland". Offshore Wind. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  9. ^ Whitlock, Robin (18 October 2023). "Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm successfully completes all offshore survey campaigns". Renewable Energy Magazine. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  10. ^ Buljan, Adrijana (1 July 2022). "CIP and Hexicon to Halve Pentland Floating Wind Project Area". Offshore Wind. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  11. ^ Memija, Adnan (2 November 2022). "Onshore Planning Application Submitted for 100 MW Scottish Floater". Offshore Wind. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Highland Council Grants Planning Permission for Pentland Floating Wind Farm's Onshore Infrastructure". Offshore Engineer Magazine. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  13. ^ Walker, Peter A. (17 June 2024). "Pentland offshore wind farm gets new part owner". businessInsider. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  14. ^ "Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm secures significant investment". Scottish Construction Now. 20 November 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
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