Britain to Invest $71m in Scottish Port for Offshore Wind

The UK government announced today its investment of $71.45m in the Port of Cromarty Firth in Scotland to expand the facility to become a hub for floating offshore wind, the government said.

Britain has a target to largely decarbonize its electricity sector by 2030 which will require a huge ramp up in renewable power like offshore wind.

Using floating turbines, which are not fixed to the seabed like traditional wind farms, allow the project to be deeper out at sea, making them less visible to communities that might object and where wind speeds are likely to be stronger. 

Technology costs for floating wind projects are higher than for fixed turbines, with few ports have the capacity to host the huge structures. 

"This initial financial backing from the UK government paves the way for the port to secure match-funding from other investors, with the port expected to become operational by the start of 2028," said a statement from The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.