Inch Cape Offshore Limited has selected the Port of Dundee as the pre-assembly and marshalling site for the construction of the 1.1GW Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm, which will be Scotland’s largest offshore wind project when commissioned later this decade. The agreement will see turbine blades, towers and nacelles, which house the turbine generators, being delivered to and pre-assembled at the port’s Renewables Hub before being shipped out for installation 12km off the Angus coast.
Dundee has been chosen after a competitive selection process due to its proximity to the project site, coupled with its unrivalled storage and assembly capacity and purpose-built quayside facilities.
The offshore wind project will be Scotland’s largest single source of renewable power when built and will feature the tallest turbines ever deployed in Scottish waters, with consent for tip heights of up to 291 metres.
Inch Cape Offshore Limited has reserved the entire Renewables Hub at the port, equivalent to 28 football pitches, from March 2025 to March 2026, with around 50 staff expected to be on site over that time.
Adam Ezzamel, Project Director, said, “Inch Cape will be the largest single offshore wind project built in Scotland, and we are delighted to be working with the Port of Dundee on the construction phase of this exciting development.
“The port is ideally-sited for our construction operation and offers us the area we require for the number – and sheer scale – of the turbines we will be deploying.
“Offshore construction is a specialist area and the Port of Dundee offers us a management team with the experience and capability to deal with the logistical challenges that have to be managed during our construction phase.
“After successfully securing a Contract for Difference earlier this summer, this latest contract award is another important step towards us delivering the project – and generating low cost, renewable power for consumers across Great Britain.”
David Webster, Director of Energy at Forth Ports (owner of the Port of Dundee), said, “This is a very significant project for The Port of Dundee as we establish Forth Ports as the partner of choice for the renewable energy sector in Scotland.
“We have built Scotland’s only custom-built renewables hub at the port which, when coupled with Dundee’s proximity to the project site in the North Sea and the natural deep waters of the Tay, makes the port ideally suited to the requirements of this major contract for Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm.”
Councillor John Alexander, Leader of Dundee City Council said, “The Port of Dundee is an incredibly important asset, not only for the city but for the renewables sector more generally. It’s strategically very well placed to support and deliver key pieces of the infrastructure that the UK will require in the future.
“Today’s announcement is a clear vote of confidence in the quality of the infrastructure here and I’m delighted that Inch Cape has selected Dundee as a critical part of the delivery of the largest offshore windfarm in Scotland.
“The scale of this project is unrivalled, with a level of ambition which is set to redefine offshore wind. Inch Cape’s success is our success, and everyone benefits from the delivery of this 72-turbine project so I’m very much looking forward to seeing the Port continuing to be a hub for this type of activity.”
