China’s CNOOD-Wenchong Heavy Industries (CWHI) has sent off the first 8 XXL monopiles for the 1.1 GW Inch Cape offshore wind farm off the east coast of Scotland.
Manufactured at CWHI’s Qinzhou yard, the monopiles were shipped on 31 August aboard the COSCO vessel XIAN TAI KOU .
The shipment is en route to Forth Ports Leith in Scotland. CWHI is responsible for the delivery of 32 XXL monopiles and 30 transition pieces for the Inch Cape offshore wind farm.
Each monopile measures up to 11.5 metres in diameter and 101.3 metres in length and weighs as much as 2,300 tonnes.
The manufacturing of the first monopiles, which will hold Vestas V236-15.0 MW turbines , was completed at CWHI’s yard in June 2025.
The monopile foundations will be installed by Jan De Nul at the site located 15 kilometres off the east coast of Scotland.
Recently, the jacket foundation and the offshore substation platform were installed by Heerema Marine Contractors’ Sleipnir vessel.
The 1.1 GW Inch Cape offshore wind farm, developed by a joint venture between ESB and Red Rock Renewables, is expected to be fully commissioned in 2027.