Plans to install two floating wind turbines off the north coast of Scotland have been granted planning permission.
Scottish ministers have approved proposals from Swedish developer Hexicon AB for the Dounreay Tri floating wind demonstration project.
The proposed site is around 6km off Dounreay on the Caithness coastline.
The Scottish Government said the demonstration project would create around 100 jobs and produce enough electricity to power almost 8,000 homes.
It follows the approval of the Kincardine Floating Offshore Wind Farm and the Hywind Scotland Pilot off the north-east coast of Scotland.
Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “Once operational, this demonstrator project will help to develop this pioneering technology and cement Scotland’s reputation at the forefront of innovation in the renewables sector.
“With the consent for this project, the Scottish Government has now approved a total of 92MW of floating offshore wind, enough to power almost 60,000 homes.
“This not only highlights our commitment to exploring this innovative technology, but offers real scope for the development of wind energy projects in deeper water, in Scotland and across the world.”
Lindsay Roberts, Senior Policy Manager at Scottish Renewables, said: “Hexicon’s Dounreay Tri is another ground-breaking project for Scotland’s renewable energy sector and shows how our natural resources and skilled supply chain are proving attractive to businesses from across the globe.
“Scotland is home to approximately 25% of Europe’s offshore wind resource and we are now starting to build out projects which will harness this potential.
“The Scottish Government has shown its ambition to generate the equivalent of half of all energy consumed from renewable sources by 2030 and offshore wind can play a key role in meeting that ambition.”
