Multimillion-pound plans for a floating windfarm off the Buchan coast will be unveiled to the public on Tuesday.
Norwegian energy giant Statoil is preparing to display its highly anticipated Buchan Deep scheme at a two-day consultation event.
The ground-breaking five-turbine project – part of the wider Hywind scheme – is to be built 12 miles off the coast of Peterhead.
The plans will go on show at the town’s Palace Hotel from 12-6pm tomorrow and again on Wednesday between 9.30am and 1pm.
Presentations will be given every hour on the hour and Statoil representatives will be on hand to speak to visitors.
A spokeswoman for the company said: “The purpose of the events is to present status and plans for the project and be available for questions and input around the activity that is planned for the Peterhead area.”
The masts will sit in water that is more than 300ft deep and will be capable of powering up to 20,000 homes.
The Peterhead turbines would be connected to the National Grid, but the windfarm’s main role would be to test the latest innovations in turbine design with a view to helping the company bring down costs and create an economically viable scheme.
Buchan Deep would be the latest phase of Statoil’s Hywind project, which led to the world’s first full-scale floating turbine being installed off the coast of Norway in 2009.
Statoil’s senior vice-president for renewable energy, Siri Espedal Kindem, previously said: “This is a significant milestone for the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park.”
The public presentation comes just days after another offshore wind project was announced for Aberdeenshire.
Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Ltd – a joint project between Pilot Offshore Renewables and Atkins – wants to put up eight turbines about 10 miles off the coast, south of Aberdeen.
It is claimed that placing turbines on semi-submersible platforms would cut construction and installation costs.
The developers will now enter into a period of consultation.
Kincardine wants to start construction in the second quarter of 2016 and have the wind farm operating by the end of 2017.