World's biggest offshore wind farm planned

Plans for the world's largest offshore wind farm have been submitted to the Scottish Government. The £4.5bn scheme, which could be built by 2020, would see 339 turbines stationed in the Moray Firth, 13 miles off Caithness.

The 670ft structures have already attracted opposition from campaigners such as Donald Trump who has claimed a wind farm will damage his new luxury golf development in Aberdeenshire.

Supporters say they will create hundreds of jobs and help the Scottish Government achieve its aim of generating 100 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The scheme by Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd would cover 114sq miles of sea and produce up to 1,500MW of power, capable of supplying up to one million homes. It would take five years to build, starting in 2015. Developers said the energy would be sent to a power station at Peterhead after being collected at eight offshore electrical platforms.