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New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
Green light for Europe’s first commercial-scale floating offshore wind farm
1/5/2024
The Scottish government has given consent for the first project to be developed under Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round. Expected to provide up to 560 MW of renewable energy, Green Volt is said to be Europe’s first commercial-scale floating offshore wind farm.
Comprising up to 35 floating wind turbines, Green Volt will deliver renewable electricity to oil and gas platforms, replacing existing natural gas and diesel power generation. It will also provide electricity to the UK grid. The project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 1mn t/y, according to developers Flotation Energy (50%) and Vårgrønn (50%), a joint venture between Plenitude (Eni) and HitecVision.
Commenting on the news, Olav Hetland, CEO at Vårgrønn, said: ‘Achieving offshore consent for the project marks an important moment for the whole offshore wind industry. At 560 MW, Green Volt serves as an essential stepping stone from current small-scale projects to gigawatt-size developments, supporting the supply chain in scaling up new technology.’
Hailing the decision as a ‘massive boost’ for the north-east region, Sir Ian Wood, Chair of the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ), said the project approval could trigger up to £3bn in investment, generate thousands of jobs, and ‘send a huge signal to domestic and international investors that Scotland is indeed a pioneer in this technology and the ideal location to manufacture and deliver floating wind developments’.
A number of other projects were also given consent ahead of the UK’s latest contracts for difference (CfD) auction (Allocation Round 6, AR6) – Highland Wind’s Pentland floating offshore wind farm; a Simply Blue Energy (Orkney) CorPower wave energy converter project; Orbital’s Orbital Eday 3 and Orbital Eday 4 tidal energy developments, Nova’s Oceanstar and Seastar tidal energy projects; and Magallanes Renovables’ Magallanes ATIR tidal energy platform.
The consents came just days after the Scottish government scaled back Scotland’s climate change ambitions, abandoning the government’s previous pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030, following the Climate Change Committee’s conclusion that the goal was ‘unrealistic’ after eight out of the last 12 annual targets had not been met. Despite this, the government said Scotland remained committed to meeting its longer-term target of net zero by 2045.
