A £15 million fund to help develop deep-water wind turbine foundations in Scotland has been announced by the Scottish Government. 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.
“Offshore wind is one of the world’s most exciting clean-tech sectors where Scotland already plays a leading role,” says Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, Fergus Ewing. “This funding will help maintainScotland’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.”