The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Wind project developers ‘desperate’ to get on track
The Swedish developers of a floating wind project planned off the Scottish coastline have said they are still hoping to get it “back on track”.
Bosses at Hexicon said yesterday that although the Dounreay Tri project is currently “on hold” they are “desperately trying” to get it to the commissioning phase.
The 10 megawatt floating wind farm was planned to be located 5.5 miles off Dounreay, Caithness.
Hexicon project director Marcus Thor said: “It’s currently on hold and has been since 2017. We couldn’t complete the funding of it and the deadline we wanted to meet has passed.
“We are desperately trying to bring the project back but it needs more funding. I’m hoping for a change to get in back on track.”
Mr Thor said that due to lack of funding and the project becoming exposed through a Swedish pension pot, it missed the Renewables Obligation deadline last September.
He added the next step “will be to see what other support schemes are available” but that Hexicon had “not heard from the Scottish Government”.
Dounreay Tri was cast into doubt last year when the company formed for the project by Hexicon went into administration.
As it stands, the project is currently on hold, though Hexicon said last year there was “strong commitment of the project’s key suppliers to restart the project and commissioning is planned latest Q1 2020”.
A recently filed progress report from administrators indicates Hexicon retained the licences and consents for the construction and operation of the turbines.
Administrators French Duncan said they were unable to comment directly.