Confirmation that 54 offshore wind farm turbines will be built in the Port of Dundee has been welcomed as an "incredible vote of confidence" in the city.

Construction of the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm is now under way, following confirmation from EDF Renewables that financial close for the project has been achieved. Twenty-five financial institutions are lending money to fund the wind farm, which will supply enough low carbon electricity for around 375,000 homes.

All of the project's 54 turbines will be assembled at the Port of Dundee before being sailed to the site. They will be supplied by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE).

Councillor Alexander said: "In partnership with Forth Ports and private sector partners, we have been actively promoting the skilled workforce, facilities and opportunity that exists at the Port of Dundee.

"I am delighted with this latest announcement that recognises those huge assets. It's an incredible vote of confidence for Dundee but, importantly, the relationship with the NNG team, EDF and Siemens Gamesa will be a source of strength long into the future. As leader of the city, I cannot underestimate the importance of this announcement."

Charles Hammond, Group Chief Executive of Forth Ports, said: "This is great news for Dundee and we look forward to working with EDF Renewables and Siemens Gamesa on this major development that will bring significant benefits to not only the City of Dundee and the port but the whole of Scotland.

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"Continued investment in our facilities, skills and infrastructure along with our £10m industry-leading heavy lift quayside means the Port of Dundee is well placed to deliver this prestigious offshore wind infrastructure project."

NnG has a capacity of c. 450 megawatts (MW) of low carbon energy and will offset over 400,000 tonnes of Co2 emissions each year. Construction of components is now under way, offshore construction will start in June 2020 and full commissioning will complete in 2023.

EDF Renewables UK CEO Matthieu Hue said: "These are hugely important milestones for the project, and a great credit to the EDF Renewables team. We are excited to get work under way with our new equity partner ESB, our contractors, and all Scottish companies and stakeholders participating in the project. The 450 MW NnG project will play an important role in de-carbonising the UK electricity system and is a further example of EDF Renewables continuous investment and growth in Scotland."

NnG Project Director Matthias Haag said: "It is a great day and we look forward to working with all the teams on what will be a fantastic project for Scotland and for EDF Renewables. Each of our main contractors will be introduced to further Scottish contractors through the Forth and Tay offshore cluster which we have supported since it was formed this year. It is designed to maximise local supply chain and employment opportunities as much as possible."

Project servicing and maintenance will take place at the Scottish NnG Operations and Maintenance base where there will be 50 permanent jobs over the 25-year lifetime of the wind farm. The preferred supplier at this stage is Eyemouth Harbour.

Scottish Government Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: "This is positive news for the Port of Dundee, Eyemouth Harbour and BiFab in Fife, which are set to benefit from the associated jobs and investment in the local community, demonstrating the strengths and potential of our indigenous supply chain.

"The Scottish Government is actively encouraging developers to explore every possible option to help the Scottish supply chain in the development of future offshore wind projects. While we believe that much more is possible from across the whole sector, today's announcement is another welcome step in the right direction."

Fred Olsen Windcarrier will be delivering the transportation and installation of the WTGs with offshore installation expected in 2022. The vessel Blue Tern will be used for the works with the Port of Dundee as the loading harbour for the wind turbines.

(MH/JG)