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.

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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)