Scotland’s biggest offshore windfarm, Seagreen, has started generating electricity, its operators have confirmed.

Standing 16 miles off the Angus coastline, the first turbine powered up on Monday morning, with the rest expected to be up and running by next July.

The £3 billion Seagreen project will be the world’s deepest fixed-bottom wind farm, anchored 59m (193ft) deep, according to French company TotalEnergies, which has partnered with SSE Renewables on the project.

When fully operational, the 114 turbines will generate 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, enough to power about 1.6 million homes – equivalent to two-thirds of Scotland’s housing stock.

“We often talk about key milestones along a project’s journey… but to see this turbine turning in the North Sea and to have reached first power safely, is a fantastic achievement,” said Paul Cooley, director of offshore wind at SSE Renewables.

SSE said the Seagreen project will play a significant role in Britain achieving its renewable energy targets.

The cost of electricity from wind has plummeted by 44-78% from its peaks between 2007 and 2010, thanks to the falling costs of wind turbines.

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Since 2009, electricity generation from wind power has increased by at least 715%.

Vincent Stoquart, senior vice president of renewables at TotalEnergies, said the project will help the fossil fuel major meet its target of generating 35GW of renewable electricity capacity worldwide by 2025.

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