Offshore wind development firm Ørsted has teamed up with onshore wind community engagement firm Falck Renewables and floating wind expert BlueFloat Energy, to participate in the upcoming ScotWind leasing round in Scotland-
"The consortium is set to apply for seabed leases in sites which lend themselves to the deployment of large-scale floating wind technology in the Crown Estate Scotland's upcoming Scotwind leasing round," Orsted said.
"Since pioneering the first ever offshore wind farm in 1991, Ørsted has developed and built more offshore wind projects than any other company in the world. Combining this unparalleled track record with BlueFloat's unique knowledge and experience in developing, financing and executing floating wind projects and Falck Renewables' track record in global project development and community engagement in Scotland in particular, the consortium is well placed to deliver world-class floating offshore projects," Ørsted said.
Martin Neubert, Chief Commercial Officer at Ørsted said: "We recently announced our strategic decision to pursue floating wind opportunities and to drive the commercialization of this technology. Today's announcement reaffirms Ørsted's commitment to this exciting and rapidly developing new technology. Allying our strong in-house Development, EPC and O&M capabilities with partners that have unique hands-on experience in floating wind projects and a strong local presence in Scotland will enable us to deliver an exciting new proposition for Scotland."
Duncan Clark, Head of Region UK for Ørsted said: "We have seen the positive, transformative impact of Ørsted's offshore wind farms in providing clean, cheap energy for homes and businesses; investing in our supply chain and opening access to opportunities across the globe; and creating new jobs and skills that leave a lasting legacy in communities across the country. This success is something we are very keen to replicate in Scotland.
"The ScotWind leasing round is a crucial step in the Scottish Government's plan to deliver up to 11 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and will be pivotal to a truly green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic."
Unlike the traditional bottom-fixed offshore wind technology, where the turbine is mounted on top of a structure fixed to the seabed, floating wind projects use a floating foundation anchored to the seabed by mooring lines, allowing projects to be sited in deeper waters further away from the coast.