The UK’s first offshore wind turbine testing facility is set to be built in Scotland.

The £20 million joint venture between SSE and Scottish Enterprise will include three sites for testing turbines.

SSE will work with Siemens and Mitsubishi Power Systems to develop their latest turbine technology on two sites while Scottish Enterprise will operate the third site,  which will be leased to a turbine manufacturer that plans to invest in the country’s offshore wind supply chain.

First Minister Alex Salmond who announced the funding earlier this week said: “As the global wind industry looks further offshore, towards the deeper waters of the world’s seas and oceans, Scotland is ideally-placed to become a key hub for the design, development and deployment of next-generation turbine technologies. We must continue to provide the optimum technical, investment and natural environment for this important industry.”

The test centre will be located at the port of Hunterston on the coast of North Ayrshire.