Installation of all 54 transition pieces at the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm in the North Sea is now complete, marking a significant milestone in the Scottish project's offshore construction programme and opening the path for the next phases of development later this year.

A Major Step Forward Just Months After Monopile Installation

The completion comes just two months after all 54 monopiles were installed at the North Sea site, reflecting the pace at which offshore construction has progressed.

The transition pieces serve as the critical interface between each monopile foundation and the wind turbine tower that will eventually sit on top, providing a stable structural connection between the two elements.

Inch Cape Project Director John Hill described the achievement as a major milestone for the project team. "Installing all the 54 transition pieces is a major achievement for the Inch Cape team and a terrific step forward for the project," he said. "This opens the site for the next campaign of array cable installation and for the start of turbine installation later in the year."

The Scale of the Components

Each of the 54 transition pieces is a substantial structure in its own right. Standing 28 metres tall, roughly equivalent to the height of an eight-storey building, each unit has an outer diameter of 8.3 metres and weighs approximately 700 tonnes. The components have been a visible feature of Edinburgh's skyline for the past six months, given their staging at Forth Ports' marshalling yard in Leith.

Beyond their structural role, each transition piece has been fitted with a boat landing system, an access ladder, and an external work platform. These features are designed to allow Inch Cape's technicians and engineers to enter the wind turbine tower for maintenance activities during the operational phase of the project.

Seaway Alfa Lift Carried Out the Offshore Work

The installation work was carried out by Seaway7's heavy-lift crane vessel, the Seaway Alfa Lift, which made repeated voyages between Leith and the offshore site, collecting and installing six transition pieces per trip.

Seaway7 Senior Project Manager Niamh Thompson said the outcome reflected the work of the teams involved across the campaign. "The successful installation of all 54 transition pieces from the Seaway Alfa Lift marks an important milestone for the project and reflects the dedication, expertise and co-operation shown by our teams," she said.

Thompson also confirmed that Seaway7's focus now shifts to the next phase of its scope on the project. "With this phase now complete, our focus turns to the installation of the pin piles in preparation for the jacket campaign later this year. We will continue to build on this success and maintain our focus on safe, efficient, and high-quality execution as we move forward with the delivery of our scope on the Inch Cape project."

A Collaborative Contractor Effort

The transition piece programme involved contributions from a range of contractors. Engineering design was provided by SLPE, while fabrication was carried out by CWHI and CFHI.

Forth Projects handled the marshalling work at Leith, Global Energy Solutions provided completion works, and Seaway7 was responsible for the offshore installation. Inch Cape credited the successful outcome to the collaborative input across all of these parties.

What Comes Next on the Construction Programme

With the transition piece installation now concluded, attention turns to the next stages of offshore construction. Seaway7 will move to install 54-pin piles using a specially designed pile installation frame, referred to as a pre-piling template, in preparation for the installation of 18 jacket foundations. The jackets represent a separate foundation type from the monopiles already installed at the site.

Beyond the jacket campaign, further offshore construction activity scheduled for the remainder of the year includes the completion of the burial of the second export cable, the installation of the first array cables, and the installation of the first wind turbines.

The reference to turbine installation beginning later in the year marks the point at which the project will begin to take its final operational form above the waterline.

Project Ownership and Background

Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm is owned through a 50/50 equal joint venture between ESB, the Irish energy company, and Red Rock Renewables. The project is located in the North Sea off the Scottish coast and has been advancing through an extensive offshore construction programme that has gathered momentum over the course of 2026.

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