Samsung Heavy Industries has secured a grant of £6m from Scottish Enterprise to help build an offshore wind turbine test centre in Fife.

The news follows the decision of Scottish ministers to approve proposals for a prototype wind turbine which would have a capacity of up to 7MW at the Fife Energy Park in Methill.

Samsung has said it wants to invest £100m in developing and manufacturing turbines at the park and to boost the reliability and efficiency of offshore turbines.

Earlier, Energy Minister Fergus Ewing granted the firm consent for a single, three-bladed demonstration wind turbine. Including the base jacket, the turbine will stand up to 110m tall from mean sea level (MSL) and will be located around 35m from the shore.


Work is expected to begin on the prototype later this year.

The development was announced by Finance Secretary John Swinney during a visit to South Korea.

He said: "Today's announcement marks a significant step forward in establishing a globally competitive supply chain for the offshore wind industry.

"Increasingly, Scotland is recognised as a centre of expertise for the next generation of offshore wind energy technologies, and this development will help to put us firmly on the map.

"Not only will this provide a much needed boost to our economy, it will also provide job opportunities for people in our local communities."

Last year, Dutch renewable energy company 2-B Energy signed a deal with Scottish Enterprise to develop a unique two-bladed offshore wind turbine at Fife Energy Park. The company said the design could reduce the cost of offshore turbines by as much as 45%.

(JP/CD)