Scottish port to build floating offshore wind turbines ‘at scale’ after £56m boost

Britain’s floating offshore wind industry received a major boost yesterday (5 March) as the government announced £56m funding for a port to build floating turbines.

The Port of Cromarty Firth in Invergordon, Scotland, will be the first in the UK to build them “on site and at scale”, the government announcement said, making it a hub for the growing industry.  

Floating turbines can be installed in deeper waters than fixed-bottom turbines, potentially opening up huge areas of the ocean for wind energy generation. Farms can be placed further from land, accessing higher wind speeds and therefore higher yields. The UK has 30 gigawatts (GW) of planned floating capacity in the pipeline.

The grant from the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme (Flowmis) will be used for expansion of the port, which could eventually support up to 1,000 jobs in the construction, installation and operational support of offshore and floating offshore wind, such as crane operators and marine engineers.

“This funding will transform the Port of Cromarty Firth into the UK's first industrial hub for floating offshore wind, kickstarting a new industry making turbines over 250m tall on platforms the size of football pitches,” said Luke Clark, director of industrial development at trade organisation RenewableUK.

“The UK is a global leader in this innovative technology. We already have one of the largest floating project pipelines in the world. To maximise the opportunities it offers, we’ll need to upgrade 11 ports and build new supply chains around the UK, so we hope this announcement is the first of many.”

He added: “By 2050, floating turbines could provide a third of the UK’s offshore wind capacity, with 40GW fully operational – enough to power every home in the country. By then, our analysis shows that the UK’s floating wind industry will employ 97,000 people, contributing £47bn to our economy by building and supplying projects here as well as exporting our cutting-edge technology worldwide.”

The initial £56m from the UK government paves the way for the port to secure match-funding from other investors, the announcement said, with the port expected to become operational by the start of 2028.

“Communities in Scotland and across the country should be powered by reliable, home-grown, clean energy from British coastlines – this is how we reduce our reliance on unstable fossil fuel markets and bring down energy bills for good,” said energy minister Michael Shanks.

Flowmis was launched in 2023, designed to support development of port infrastructure needed for deployment of floating offshore wind at scale. The Port of Cromarty Firth is one of two ports selected for funding, with plans for the second shortlisted port, Port Talbot in Wales, under development.