The test centre will be backed with £6.04m ($9.3m) of funding from development body Scottish Enterprise.

Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing granted consent for an offshore demonstration wind turbine with an installed capacity of up to 7MW. 

The development for Samsung will test new designs and models of offshore turbines to increase their reliability and efficiency.

The approval was granted during a visit to Samsung in South Korea, by finance secretary John Swinney who welcomed the consent for the new development and the Scottish Enterprise funding to develop the project.

“Today’s announcement marks a significant step forward in establishing a globally competitive supply chain for the offshore wind industry.

“This development…will utiliise newly developed technologies which have not yet been deployed offshore – further confirming Scotland’s commitment to innovation in the offshore wind production sector.

“Fife can play a key role in developing knowledge and research in the energy sector. The site at Fife Energy Park offers the ideal location for a cutting edge test centre like this,” Swinney says.

The principal components of the scheme comprise:

  • A single, three bladed demonstration wind turbine with an installed capacity of up to 7MW. The turbine tower is up to 110 metres tall, from mean sea level (MSL) including the base jacket.  The turbine has a maximum rotor diameter of 172 metres, giving a maximum level from the MSL to turbine tip of up to 196 metres;
  • A personnel bridge connection between Fife Energy Park and turbine tower;
  • Construction of an onshore crane pad and control compound  on the Fife Energy Park.
  • Offshore cabling.

Samsung has already awarded multi-million pound contracts to companies in Scotland as part of the project to develop the test turbine, which marks a significant step in establishing a globally-competitive supply chain for the offshore wind industry.

“This announcement helps to keep Scotland on track to creating thousands of green jobs, meeting its renewable target, and cutting climate change emissions,” says WWF Scotland director Lang Banks.

The Korean group has previously indicated it may set up a manufacturing base at the site, and joins fellow Asian big-hitter Mitsubishi and Spain's Gamesa in making Scotland a focus of its global offshore strategy.

Note: Update adds further detail