WIREDGOV

A £15 million fund to help develop deep-water wind turbine foundations in Scotland has been announced by Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, Fergus Ewing.

The Scottish Innovative Foundation Technologies Fund will support the development of prototype foundations for offshore wind turbines sited in water depths greater than 30 metres.

Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, Fergus Ewing said:

“Offshore wind is one of the world’s most exciting clean-tech sectors where Scotland already plays a leading role. Scotland pioneered the world’s first deep-water offshore wind development and our innovation and offshore engineering expertise will play an increasingly important role as the industry moves to harness the wind further offshore – where both the energy resources and the technical challenges are greater.

“This funding will help maintain Scotland’s position as one of the world’s most attractive destinations for renewable energy investment, development and deployment. It will help lower costs in developing the foundations needed for wind turbines in deeper water and more varied seabed conditions – currently the second largest cost associated with this type of project. It should also benefit Scottish companies through the supply chain, securing jobs and boosting our economic recovery.”

Maggie McGinlay, Director of Energy and Clean Technologies at Scottish Enterprise added:

“We know that our offshore wind sector has huge economic potential and this fund will make a significant contribution to helping reduce the costs of offshore wind and creating an internationally renowned industry in Scotland, adding to existing support already available to the sector such as POWERS and the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund.

“More and more we’re being recognised as a centre for offshore wind research, innovation and manufacturing. This combined with the world-leading experience we’ve build up through oil & gas in the North Sea, has already seen key players in the sector Areva, Samsung, Gamesa and Mitsubishi announce plans to come here. The innovation supported by this fund will act as a further catalyst for the industry in Scotland as we develop a renewables sector that competes on a global scale.”

Calum Davidson, Director of Energy & Low Carbon at Highlands & Islands Enterprise said:

“This Scotland-wide fund is most welcome; given the significant potential it offers to companies to get innovative foundation solutions in to the water more quickly than may otherwise be possible. This in turn will play a significant role in cost-cutting for the industry, helping achieve ambitious cost reduction targets.”