The first three of Inch Cape's 18 jacket foundations have reached the Port of Leith this week, reshaping the local skyline and prompting fresh interest in the offshore wind project.

The jackets will support some of the wind farm's 72 turbines offshore. Inch Cape is using a mix of jacket foundations and XXL monopiles to suit varying water depths across the 150 square kilometre site, which ranges from 34 to 64 metres.

Jackets are typically deployed in waters deeper than 55 metres. Each structure is tailored to its exact position, taking account of depth, seabed conditions and the size of the turbine it will carry.

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The units now in Edinburgh stand up to 83 metres high — around twice the height of the nearby Port of Leith Distillery — and weigh between 2,050 and 2,250 tonnes apiece.

Each jacket is a three-legged lattice of steel topped with a transition piece to which the turbine tower will be bolted. They are engineered to withstand harsh marine conditions while providing a stable base for the turbines.

Installation will be carried out by the heavy lift crane vessel Seaway Alfa Lift, which will load the structures at Forth Ports' Port of Leith. Offshore, each foundation will be lowered onto the seabed and fixed to pre-installed pin piles, one per leg. Turbine installation is expected to start towards the end of 2026.

The initial shipment travelled on the heavy transport vessel Hua Yang Long from COOEC-Fluor Heavy Industries (CFHI), which is contracted to supply all 18 jacket foundations and 24 monopile transition pieces.