“This is fantastic recognition for the team involved in getting the first independent test facility of this scale ready for the new breed of multi-megawatt offshore wind turbines,” said Andrew Mill, Chief Executive at Narec.

“The project is a message of intent from SHI and outlines the route to market which other turbine manufacturers will progressively have to follow if they are to be considered to supply UK Round 3 sites,” he added.

The SHI nacelle is being shipped to Narec where it will be used to commission the 15MW rated independent wind turbine nacelle test facility. This will be followed by a six month programme of testing where its performance will be monitored under simulated offshore operating conditions, including extreme weather events.

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) is investing £25m in the Narec facility through the design, development, supplying and commissioning of the test rig by GE Energy-Power Conversion and MTS Systems Corporation.

“The confirmation of the Samsung Heavy Industries contract is a massive boost for both Narec and the UK Offshore Wind industry as a whole,” said David Clarke, CEO of the Energy Technologies Institute.