Red Rock Power has secured consent from the Scottish government for a revised design to its 700MW Inch Cape offshore wind farm.
Authorities have approved up to 72 turbines, down from the initially consented 110 units that were originally given the go-ahead in 2014.
The move will “significantly improve the efficiency” of the wind farm, the developer said.
“This reduction, which would also reduce the number of export cables required, provides an opportunity to significantly cut construction time and costs to the end user,” added Red Rock.
“The new design, with less infrastructure requirements, also further decreases the risk of potential environmental impacts.”
Offshore consents manager Ben King said the decision is a “key step” ahead of submission of a Contracts for Difference bid in the current allocation round.
Red Rock is meanwhile conducting a second phase of offshore site investigations in the Outer Firth of Tay and Firth of Forth.
Work includes geotechnical and geophysical studies that will inform the detailed design of the project.