About Inch Cape
At 1.1 gigawatt Inch Cape is one of Scotland’s largest offshore wind farms. Sited in the North Sea, 15 kilometres off the Angus coast, its onshore transmission infrastructure is in East Lothian where the project connects to the national grid. Inch Cape is now in construction with full operation due in 2027.
Project description
Inch Cape’s offshore site covers a total of 150 square kilometres, roughly the size of the island of Hoy in Orkney. It will comprise 72 wind turbine generators, each up to 274 metres tall, installed on a combination of monopile and jacket foundations in water depths ranging from 34 metres to 64 metres.
The monopiles used are amongst the world’s largest with lengths of up to 105 metres, a maximum diameter of 11.5 metres and with the heaviest weighing 2700 tonnes. The jacket foundations are up to 89 metres tall with the heaviest weighing 2250 tonnes.
A total of 150 kilometres of array cables will bring the power to a single 66 kilovolt (kV)/220kV offshore substation platform on a 68-metre jacket foundation at the heart of the wind farm. Electricity from the offshore substation will be transmitted 85 kilometres via two 220kV subsea export cables to landfall in Cockenzie, East Lothian.
The export cables will join a short section of onshore export cable which will connect into the new 220/275kV onshore substation constructed on the brownfield site of the former coal-fired Cockenzie Power Station. The substation will comprise two super grid transformers, shunt reactors, harmonic filters, static var compensators and additional electrical equipment.
From the substation, the power will be transported around 300 metres underground to the existing Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) 275/400kV substation. From here it will enter the national transmission system on its way to providing green electricity to UK homes, businesses and industry.
The project will be operated and maintained out of a purpose-built facility at the Port of Montrose, in Angus.
Benefits and opportunities
Inch Cape represents a significant investment in the UK’s energy infrastructure with associated economic opportunities and community benefits. Potential suppliers can register their interest in working with the project and its key contractors via our supplier database.
investment in the UK’s electrical infrastructure
to the UK target for 50GW of offshore wind capacity to be installed by 2030
of the Scottish Government’s 11GW offshore wind ambition for 2030
have contributed to the project to date (mid 2026)
have contributed to the project to date (mid 2026)
to be spent in the UK over the lifetime of the project
in East Lothian including existing grid capacity and established transmission infrastructure
UK content to be delivered over the life cycle of the project
constructed at the Port of Montrose for the project’s operations & maintenance phase
long-term skilled jobs will be created locally
could be powered by the green energy generated
Reduction in tonnes per annum in carbon emissions once operational, compared to using fossil-fuels*
* Using DESNZ’s “all non-renewable fuels” emissions statistic of 437 tonnes of carbon dioxide per GWh of electricity supplied in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (July 2024) Table 5.14 (“Estimated carbon dioxide emissions from electricity supplied”). Carbon reduction is calculated by multiplying the total amount of electricity generated per year by the number of tonnes of carbon which fossil fuels would have produced to generate the same amount of electricity.
Our story to date
Owners
Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm is owned by Inch Cape Offshore Limited, an equal joint venture between Edinburgh-based renewable and sustainable energy company, Red Rock Renewables and Ireland’s leading energy company, ESB.
Red Rock Renewables is an Edinburgh-based investor, owner and operator of renewable energy projects. Its team of around 80 members is passionate about delivering clean, affordable energy and supporting the UK’s and wider Europe’s net zero ambitions.
ESB operates across the electricity market on the island of Ireland: from generation, through transmission and distribution to the supply of customers with an expanding presence across Great Britain. In 2017, ESB opened its office in Glasgow to spearhead further development of renewables, in particular onshore and offshore wind, across Scotland.
Next steps
By mid-2027, all 72 wind turbines will be installed and commissioned, and operations and maintenance started.
Our galleries
View videos and photographs of the Inch Cape project including our onshore and offshore construction work and our involvement with the community, local schools and colleges.
Document library
Our document library contains a range of written materials including project publications and newsletters, consent documents and health, safety and environment information.