The Scottish Government is to introduce new subsidies for offshore wind power projects, Scottish Renewables has said.

One of the incentives aims to support the generation of electricity from offshore tests and demonstration sites, while the other will provide financial support for pilot projects.

Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said the move would "help bring down the cost of developing offshore wind in our deeper waters."

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The two new subsidies are to be created for the Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) scheme, which provides financial support for green energy projects.

Responding to the announcement, Lindsay Leask, Senior Policy Manager for Scottish Renewables, said: "Scotland is at the cutting edge of deep water offshore wind technologies and these new banding proposals will help catapult the industry even further forward.

"By investing in offshore test and demonstration sites now, we will have a greater chance of leading the global race to develop next generation offshore wind technologies and establish ourselves as a key destination for offshore wind technology innovation and deployment; driving down costs and protecting our marine environment."

(JP/CD)