The first components for a major wind farm off the Fife coast will arrive in Dundee next week.
The first turbine parts for the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) will arrive at the Port of Dundee.
A total of 72 turbine tower sections and 36 blades will travel up the River Tay by barge.
Over the following months, the tower sections will be assembled into 24 turbine towers, each 90 metres in height.
The blades, each 83.5 metres in length, will be stored at the Port of Dundee prior to their shipment to site.
Neart na Gaoithe assembled in Dundee
Over the next few months, a total of 162 tower sections, 162 blades, and 54 nacelles will be delivered from turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa.
54 turbine towers will be assembled at the Port of Dundee before being placed on a specialist wind turbine installation vessel which will transport them to and install the turbines at the site of the offshore wind farm.
Forth Ports director of energy at David Webster said: “This is what we have been working towards with our £40m investment in the Port of Dundee.
“We look forward to bringing the first NnG components over the quayside and to playing our part in Scotland’s drive towards Net Zero carbon emissions.”
The 54 jackets, on which the turbines will sit, will be installed in 2023 ahead of the turbines.
The first turbines will be operational in time for the wind farm to begin generating power in 2023.
The wind farm is due to be completed in 2024.
Major milestone for NnG
Jointly owned by EDF Renewables and ESB, NnG has a capacity of about 450MW.
The wind farm will supply enough low carbon electricity for around 375,000 homes. It will offset over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
A 100-ton cable for the wind farm arrived in Rosyth last August.
The wind farm will cover an area of around 105 square kilometres, 15.5km off the coast of Fife.
NnG project director Matthias Haag said it was a “major milestone”.
He added: “We remain as committed as ever to working with the Scottish supply chain to get these turbines in the water and start generating clean, green electricity for the UK.”
