Salamander, a joint venture between Ørsted, Simply Blue Group, and Subsea7, has signed an exclusivity agreement as part of Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round.
The 100 MW Salamander floating offshore wind project, located 35km off Peterhead, is designed to provide Scotland and its supply chain with an early opportunity to deliver floating offshore wind ahead of the larger-scale ScotWind buildout.
With the Exclusivity Agreement, the project will start offshore wind development work while Marine Scotland’s planning process for the INTOG Sectoral Marine Plan (INTOG SMP) is completed.
"With gigawatts of floating wind buildout expected in Scotland and the UK over the next decade, Salamander will be a valuable stepping-stone to ensure local supply chains are ready and able to take full advantage of this opportunity," the company said in a press release Monday.
Salamander said it would demonstrate a package of innovative technologies at commercial scale, readying them for roll out in utility-scale projects such as the ScotWind leases.
"These technologies will be critical to ensuring floating offshore wind energy is deliverable, affordable for consumers and contributes value to local industry and business," the companyx said.
The INTOG round was split into two pots – one for smaller-scale innovation projects of 100 MW or less and one for larger projects linked to oil and gas infrastructure. Salamander was successful in the innovation route.
A series of public consultations are set to be held by the Salamander floating offshore wind project next month.
The in-person consultation events will take place from 2pm – 8pm on Wednesday, 7 June at Balmoor Stadium, Peterhead, and from 10am to 2pm on Thursday, 8 June at Crimond Public Hall. Each event will include a short presentation, a question-and-answer session, and opportunities to provide project feedback. The consultation will also be open virtually via the Salamander website between Monday, 5 June and Friday, 23 June.