The Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm has successfully installed its offshore jacket foundation and substation platform 21 kilometers off the Angus coast in the North Sea. This marks a significant milestone for the 1.1 gigawatt Scottish renewable energy project.

The offshore substation features Siemens Energy's first-ever double Offshore Transformer Module (OTM®), a compact 2700-tonne platform with two circuits comprising transformers and reactors. The OTM and its 68-meter jacket foundation were installed by Heerema Marine Contractors using the semi-submersible crane vessel Sleipnir.

The modular design, developed over the past decade, allows for smaller and lighter platforms compared to conventional alternating current models. The components were assembled over 18 months at the Smulders yard in Newcastle, supported by about 80 UK subcontractors.

Owned equally by ESB and Red Rock Renewables, Inch Cape is Scotland's largest offshore wind farm under construction. Once operational, it is expected to generate nearly 5 terawatt hours annually, powering approximately half of Scottish homes.

Construction of the onshore substation in Cockenzie, East Lothian, is progressing well. The next offshore phase includes installing export cables this summer, with first power anticipated by late 2026 and commercial operations planned for 2027.