CNOOD-Wenchong Heavy Industries (CWHI) and Inch Cape Offshore, a joint venture between ESB and Red Rock Renewables, have marked the first steel cutting for the transition pieces that will be installed at the 1.1 GW Inch Cape offshore wind farm.
The transition pieces (TPs) will be manufactured at CWHI’s Zhongshan and Longxue yards in China and delivered to the Scottish project in 2025.
CWHI’s scope of work encompasses the fabrication, outfitting, commissioning and shipping of 30 TPs to the Port of Leith. Each transition piece will have an outer diameter of 8 metres and a length of 30 metres, and will weigh 600 tonnes.
The remaining TPs for the 72-turbine Inch Cape project will be produced by COOEC Fluor Heavy Industries (CFHI).
The monopiles for the 1.1 GW offshore wind farm are being manufactured by CWHI and Dajin Offshore, and the foundations will be installed at the project site, located 15 kilometres off the Angus coast, by Jan de Nul.
CWHI and Inch Cape Offshore recently celebrated the start of production of the monopiles which CWHI is manufacturing at its Qinzhou yard.
The start of fabrication work on Inch Cape components follows ESB and Red Rock Renewables reaching a financial close on the 1,080 MW offshore wind farm and progressing the project into the construction phase.
Offshore construction is planned to commence in the second quarter of 2025, with the start of the installation of the export cables, followed by the installation of the offshore substation. The first power is expected in late 2026, with a commercial operation date in 2027.
Once operational, the Inch Cape offshore wind farm, which will comprise Vestas V236-15.0 MW turbines , will generate almost 5 TWh of renewable energy each year, according to the developer.