THE first turbine in an offshore windfarm, which will be visible from East Lothian’s coastline, has been installed.

A maximum of 54 turbines are planned for Neart na Gaoithe (NnG), which will be 30 kilometres off the coast of Torness, near Dunbar.

EDF Renewables UK and ESB, who are behind the development, claim it will provide power for about 375,000 homes and produce up to 450MW of low carbon energy.

Matthias Haag, NnG project director, said: “This is truly a pivotal moment for the NnG offshore wind farm.

“The construction of the first NnG wind turbine was a momentous sight.

“It’s a great achievement for our team and our contractors and we’ve taken a massive step towards our goal of generating 450MW of clean, green energy and helping Scotland achieve its Net Zero targets.”

East Lothian Courier: A pivotal moment has been reached in the creation of the Neart na GaoitheA pivotal moment has been reached in the creation of the Neart na Gaoithe

The turbine, with a tip height of more than 200 metres was installed by Siemens Gamesa from the specialist jack-up wind turbine construction vessel, the Blue Tern, which initially placed the 87.5-metre turbine tower on its pre-installed steel jacket.

This was followed by the installation of the 350-tonne nacelle, containing the turbine generator, on top of the tower.

Finally, its three blades, each 81 metres in length, were bolted to the nacelle.

Once commissioned, this will be the first NnG wind turbine to generate clean, green electricity for the National Grid.

Its 8MW of power will be sent via the subsea inter-array cable to its offshore substation then onwards to shore via the subsea export cable to Thorntonloch Beach, near Dunbar.

The energy will access the National Grid’s entry point at Crystal Rig in the Lammermuir Hills.

READ MORE: Major milestone reached in plans for Neart na Gaoithe

The turbine’s journey to site began in the Port of Dundee when its component parts were loaded, alongside those of three further turbines, onto the Blue Tern.

It is anticipated the project will be fully operational next year.

David Webster, director of energy at Forth Ports, said: “Working with the NnG and Siemens Gamesa teams we have delivered the first turbine to a remarkable project that will not only deliver green energy but has also been a catalyst for local supply chain development and industry collaboration.”