Stromar Floating Offshore Wind Farm has successfully launched a floating Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) buoy at its site in Scotland.
The E38 EOLOS LiDAR was deployed at the Stromar site off the coast of Caithness, around 50km from the Port of Wick on 8 September.
Equipped with fully independent and remote sensing devices, the buoy will remain in the water for at least 12 months to capture accurate data on subjects such as wind speed and direction, ocean currents, tide, atmospheric pressure and air temperature, all of which help inform the wind farm’s design.
Stromar project development director Nicholas Ritchie said: “This installation marks an important stage in the journey for Stromar and supports our ambition to bring a clean, green future to Scotland.
“The 1GW of renewable energy to be produced by Stromar could power more than 1 million homes, and the opportunities presented by the site help position Scotland as a leader in floating wind energy.”
In current and future stages of the journey, Stromar plans to develop the local supply chain and create jobs for Scotland, helping enable a just transition to renewable energy, aiming to invest billions in the Scottish supply chain over its lifetime.
It also intends to work with schools, colleges and universities to train and reskill the workforce to ensure local people benefit from this substantial investment.
Stromar will focus on three key points during the course of its development and operation: circularity, biodiversity and community.
This means that where possible, it will repurpose existing materials, invest in ensuring that nature is conserved and enhanced in areas of operation and that communities will be at the heart of planning and development, the developer said.