Scottish ministers have approved a variation application for the Pentland floating offshore wind farm to refine the project’s offshore consents.

The move will see a reduction in the number of turbines while maintaining the project's 100MW capacity.

The wind farm, situated 7.5km offshore Dounreay in Caithness, will supply green electricity to 70,000 homes.

The variation application was submitted after extensive survey work and advancements in the project's design, enabling the proposals to be refined.

The operational lifespan of the wind farm will be 25 years, with the adjustments allowing for a smaller deployment area without compromising on energy output.

Pentland is being developed by Copenhagen Offshore Partners.

Pentland project director Richard Copeland stated: “This is a significant milestone for the project and the floating offshore wind sector across Scotland and the UK.

“The Pentland project will pioneer a number of innovative technologies enabling the industrialisation of floating offshore wind along with delivering significant benefits to the local economy. We now have all key development requirements in place and are ready to move forward.

“Throughout the consent process we have prioritised sustainability, with the goal of minimising any negative environmental impacts of the project. We are confident this refined design is future-proof and ensures we can deliver the same benefit to the local community, and Scotland’s energy sector, while further reducing the project’s environmental impacts.”