Xodus, a specialist in permit applications and environmental impact assessments, has been involved with the project for development consent. The company's marine renewables specialist, Liz Foubister, said: “This is a significant project for the team and we are pleased to hear it has gained development consent. Due to the scale of the pilot project compared to other offshore windfarms off the east coast of Scotland, one of the key issues was ensuring the EIA was appropriate to the size of the development, but yet provide the regulators with sufficient information to be able to consent the project and understand the potential cumulative impacts from all the offshore windfarms in the region."

Statoil is set to develop a pilot park of five floating 6MW turbines which is to be located at Buchan Deep, approximately 25km off the coast of Peterhead with a generating capacity of 135GWh of electricity each year. The pilot park will cover around four square kilometres, at a water depth of 95-120m and will harness wind resources to provide renewable energy to the mainland. It is expected that the Hywind Scotland development could power around 20,000 houses. Production start is expected in late 2017.

Unlike conventional turbines, Hywind turbines will be attached to the seabed by a three-point mooring spread and anchoring system. The turbines will be connected by an inter-array of cables and an export cable will transport electricity from the pilot park to shore at Peterhead.