Inch Cape Foundation Installation About to Start as First Monopiles Arrive in Scottish Port

The first eight XXL monopile foundations for the 1.1 GW Inch Cape offshore wind farm in Scotland, produced by China’s CNOOD-Wenchong Heavy Industries (CWHI), have arrived in the Port of Leith ahead of the installation work, which will start before the end of the year.

CWHI sent off the monopiles on 31 August aboard the COSCO vessel XIAN TAI KOU.

The vessel docked at the recently opened deep-water riverside Charles Hammond Berth in the new Forth Ports’ renewables hub, where Inch Cape is the first to use the transformed port facility.

The arrival of the first XXL monopiles, each up to 103 metres long and weighing around 2,300 tonnes, marks the start of major offshore construction on the Scottish project, with Jan De Nul’s heavy lift vessel Les Alizés set to install the monopiles, starting before the end of 2025 and continuing into 2026.

The project will comprise 54 monopiles and transition pieces, and 18 three-legged jacket foundations with three pin piles per jacket.

CWHI is responsible for the delivery of 32 XXL monopiles for the Inch Cape offshore wind farm, with 24 being delivered by Dajin Heavy Industry, and COOEC-Fluor (CFHI) in charge of delivering the 18 jacket foundations.

Dajin also recently dispatched its first batch of monopiles for Inch Cape, which are expected to soon arrive at the Port of Leith.

“The arrival of the first monopiles for Inch Cape is a momentous day for the team in Leith. We have transformed Leith into a world class renewables hub and the Charles Hammond Berth has been created specifically to handle the world’s largest offshore energy vessels”, said Derek Knox, Regional Director for Scotland, Forth Ports Limited.

“We have invested in our infrastructure and our marine vessels and created new skilled jobs to deliver this major project. Our sister port in Dundee will also play a key role in 2026 as the turbine pre-assembly and marshalling hub.”

The 1,080 MW Inch Cape will comprise 72 Vestas V236-15.0 MW turbines and a single offshore substation that was installed at the North Sea site in early August.

Owned in a 50/50 joint venture by ESB and Red Rock Renewables, the 1.1 GW offshore wind farm is expected to produce first power in late 2026 and enter full commercial operations in 2027. Once complete, Inch Cape will generate almost 5 TWh of energy each year, enough to power half the homes in Scotland, according to its developer.

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