EDINBURGH, Scotland, March 26 (UPI) -- The Scottish government announced Tuesday it gave its consent to the development of an offshore wind testing center in Aberdeen Bay.
Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing announced the decision on the European Offshore Wind Deployment Center. It would consist of 11 turbines and be used by developers to test technologies for offshore use.
"The proposed European Offshore Wind Deployment Center will give the industry the ability to test and demonstrate new technologies in order to accelerate its growth," he said in a statement.
Ewing said the offshore wind sector could generate as much as $10.6 billion for the Scottish economy.
Ewing said the center would generate 100 megawatts of electricity, which be enough to meet the annual demands of 49,000 homes. That's about half of Aberdeen's population.
His consent comes amid objections from U.S. business mogul Donald Trump, The Guardian newspaper reports. Trump said the wind deployment center would spoil from the view from a golf course near the Aberdeen coast.
