Kincardine
World's first commercial-scale floating OWF. Principle Power WindFloat semi-submersible foundations. Array includes 5 × V164-9.5 MW + 1 × V80-2 MW pilot.
Status
Operationallifecycle stage
Ownership
KOKincardine Offshore Windfarm Ltd — 100% ◆
Location
United KingdomNorth Sea
Technology
Capacity
50 MW ◆
Turbines
6 × 9.5 MW ◆
Model
Mhi Vestas V164 9-5 ◆
Foundation
Floating ◆
Site & conditions
Site rights
Seabed rights held ∴
Water depth
60–80 m ◆
Distance from shore
15 km ◆
Wind speed
10.0 m/s @ 150 m ≈
Revenue & grid
Offtake
PPA ◆
Grid
Secured · 2017-03-07 ◆
Connection
Redmoss substation, Altens, Aberdeen ◆
Schedule
FID
2020 ∅
COD
Oct 2021 ◆
Project timeline verified milestones only — each date carries its provenance mark
Dashed tick marks today (9 Sep 2026).
Revenue & offtake the regime the project was built under
Offtake regime on record
RegimeROC 3.5 ROCs/MWh (floating demonstrator). Long-term PPA with Statkraft (signed 2018, 100% output, until 2029).
InstrumentPPA
A built project sells its power under the contract or support regime it was financed with; it is not expected to bid into new government offtake rounds. Where the record does not yet name that regime, the row says so rather than guessing.
Installation how the build is going · from satellite counts and Hafrok’s registers
Satellite installation tracker
counted from satellite radar images · a structure standing in the sea on a given date, not a turbine producing power · a guide, not a sourced fact
Installation · counted from satellite
Foundations5 of 6≈83% · first seen 2018-07-26
Turbinesnone yet≈0 of 6
Latest count2022-12-31from 673 satellite passes · 0 substation platforms left out so the counts compare with the turbine number · the count has ended: the build is complete
Hafrok counts foundations and turbines from satellite radar images (≈): a structure is counted once it is seen standing in the sea, which is not the same as producing power. A structure first seen in the last 60 days is not yet confirmed, because on a single image a freshly set foundation and a ship holding position look alike. Substation platforms are left out so the counts compare with the number of turbines. Rows marked with a dot (·) come from Hafrok’s own registers; a supplier or contract appears only where a source states it — everything else reads “not recorded”, never guessed.
Structures standing over time · count
strong line = confirmed · light line = seen in the last 60 days, not yet confirmed · the chart counts every structure (6 turbines + 0 platforms); the table counts turbines only
foundationsturbines up (a substation top being set in place counts here too)
Satellite image
Image taken2026-09-07≈Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar satellite, northbound pass
Farm covered100%≈the whole farm lies inside the image
Structures ringed5 confirmed · 0 not yet confirmed≈as counted on 2022-12-31 · the image is newer than the count, so a bright spot without a ring may be a structure not yet counted
Construction ports
PortPort of Dundee ◆turbines
Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026, processed by ESA and by Microsoft Planetary Computer.
Latest satellite radar image · 2026-09-07
a radar picture, not a photograph: the sea is dark, steel is bright · black is beyond the edge of the image
confirmed structure (5)seen recently, not yet confirmed (0)probably a substation platform (a larger structure than a turbine; the register above has the facts)farm boundary
Sources & verification
15/18 fields verified · rests on 13 sources (7 primary) · ◆ 8 documents held
◆Verified≈Modelled◇Sourced∴Inferred⌁Convention○Unverified∅No source·Derived
Numbers are stable citation ids — grouped by source class, so they are not consecutive.
Regulator4
[1]
Marine Scotland2017-03-07◆ Kincardine Offshore Windfarm - Section 3…
"CONSENT GRANTED BY THE SCOTTISH MINISTERS UNDER SECTION 36 OF THE ELECTRICITY ACT 1989 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF AN OFFSHORE GENERATING STATION, THE KINCARDINE FLOATING OFFSHORE WINDFARM,…
supportsoperatorConsentTotal capacityStatusConnection point+2 more
[10]
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero2026-05-06◆ Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD…
“REPD Q1 2026 quarterly extract — Ref ID 6136: Site Name "Kincardine Offshore Windfarm", Development Status "Operational", Installed Capacity 49.5 MWelec, Operator "Grupo Cobra"”
supportsRegister entry
[12]
Scottish Government Marine Directorate (MD-LOT)2026-08-23◆ Scottish MD-LOT marine projects register…
“Register row "Kincardine Offshore Windfarm" (key ml/kincardine-offshore-windfarm-0): Application stage "Post-consent", type "Renewables - Wind".”
supportsRegister entry
[13]
Companies House◆ Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Limited (SC…
“Pilot Offshore Renewables Limited [...] Ownership of shares – 75% or more [...] Ownership of voting rights - 75% or more”
supports↳ parents
Operator4
[2]
Principle Power2021-10-19◆ KOWL: World’s largest floating windfarm …
"The 50 MW Kincardine Offshore Windfarm … fully operational … 19 October 2021 … five Vestas V164-9.5 MW and one V80-2 MW turbine … each installed on WindFloat semi-submersible platforms designed by Pr…
supportsCommercial operationTurbinesModelUnit capacityTotal capacity+3 more
[3]
Statkraft2021-09◆ Kincardine: Statkraft helps world’s larg…
“a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed in 2018 between Statkraft and Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Ltd (KOWL) … Statkraft will purchase all electrical output from the floating wind project ……”
supportsMechanismDetail
[4]
Cobra Group (ACS)2019-01-11◆ Cobra installs the first turbine of what…
“Cobra holds 90% of the Kincardine project, the remaining 10% is in the hands of local investors … guaranteed rate of 3.5 ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates) … equivalent, at today's prices, to €1…”
supportsBackground
[11]
National Energy System Operator (NESO)2026-07-21◆ NESO Transmission Entry Capacity (TEC) R…
“NESO TEC Register, edition 21 July 2026 - PRO-000277: "Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm", Status "Built", MW Connected 49.6, Effective From n/a, Customer "KINCARDINE OFFSHORE WINDFARM LIMITED"”
supportsRegister entry
Trade press5
[5]
The Courier (Dundee)2018
“A wind turbine tower was raised on to its floating steel base at the Port of Dundee's Prince Charles Wharf, with tower sections, the nacelle and the blades assembled there … first turbine assembled on…”
supportsturbines
[6]
[7]
offshoreWIND.biz2018-08-17
Press report — cited, not quoted; read it at the source link.
supportsOffshore constructionSite rights
[8]
offshoreWIND.biz2018-10-30
Press report — cited, not quoted; read it at the source link.
supportsFirst power
[9]