A request for permission to construct and run the 100MW Pentland floating offshore wind farm off the north coast of Scotland has been made by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Hexicon.
Marine Scotland must approve the developers’ plans to place up to seven wind turbines and floating support structures 7.5 kilometres off the coast of Dounreay, Caithness.
There will be nine moorings on each floating substructure, as well as nine piles or anchors.
Up to two offshore export cables, together with related scour and cable protection, will also be included in the project.
By the end of 2026, activities are anticipated to start after construction begins in 2024. The wind farm will have a 30-year operational life once it is commissioned.
The environmental impact study for the floater, which was also submitted by CIP and Hexicon, concluded that any potential seabird disturbance brought on by construction noise or the physical presence of vessels was “not significant.”
However, it was shown that a small number of bird species may have collision mortalities as a result of turbine accidents during operations.
Additionally, it was determined that Pentland is not anticipated to coincide with the launch exclusion zone for the Space Hub Sutherland Project “at the time of writing” and that any disruption or interference to the SHE Transmission Orkney-Caithness project would be “temporary and highly localised.”
Additionally, to support the planning application, a habitats regulation appraisal was prepared by Xodus Group on behalf of the developers.
