Irish energy firm ESB has teamed up with Edinburgh-based Red Rock Power Limited to form a 50:50 joint venture for Inch Cape Offshore Limited, a large wind farm development off the east coast of Scotland.

The Red Rock Power and ESB partnership will harness both companies' wealth of expertise within the wind energy sector and support their mutual growth ambitions as they continue to strengthen their respective UK wind portfolios, with the potential to collaborate on other projects in the future.

As well as powering around 700,000 homes and supporting both the UK and Scottish Governments’ net-zero targets, Inch Cape is poised to play a key role in a green economic recovery through the creation of skilled jobs and opportunities for the local supply chain.

Jim Dollard, Executive Director Generation and Trading at ESB, said: "We look forward to pooling our expertise and experience with a partner of the calibre of Red Rock Power to deliver the Inch Cape project. With consent for up to one gigawatt and 72 turbines, this is a milestone investment in offshore wind for ESB and our ambition to lead the transition to a low-carbon future. This builds on similar partnerships ESB has with leading renewable energy companies in developing offshore wind projects off the coast of Ireland and Great Britain."

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ESB, through its Brighter Future strategy to lead the transition to a low carbon future, has ramped up its investment and expertise in offshore wind generation, one of the main technologies underpinning the clean electricity systems that will power our societies into the future.

Guy Madgwick, Red Rock Power Limited CEO said: "Inch Cape will, without a doubt, make a considerable impact on the country’s clean energy targets and create significant opportunities to support a green economic recovery. We look forward to working alongside our colleagues at ESB on the project and to applying synergies within our teams to drive the development forward to a successful build."

Inch Cape is set to be constructed 15km off the Angus Coast in the East of Scotland and to become one of the country's largest single sources of renewable energy. The project recently received approval to increase its capacity to up to one gigawatt having already secured both onshore and offshore consents in 2019. The wind farm will connect into the national grid at Cockenzie in East Lothian.