Engineering news
International firms Mainstream Renewable Power and Ocean Winds signed the lease agreement with Crown Estate Scotland to the value of £36m for the development of a 1.8GW capacity floating offshore wind farm, to be situated off the Shetland Islands, the most northerly region of the UK.
The project will be known as the Arven Offshore Wind Farm, the partners announced today (2 November).
“As the Norwegian word for heritage or legacy, Arven provides a link to the proud Norse history of the Shetland Islands and to the legacy which both partners plan to create on site,” the companies said. “With a 50-50 ownership, both Mainstream and Ocean Winds are committed to developing floating offshore wind on an industrial scale, generating local jobs and opportunities in Scotland and the Shetland Islands.”
The site output has the potential to save three million tonnes of carbon emissions each year and power the equivalent of over two million homes, although the actual number of households that could be powered by the 1.8GW capacity is likely to be slightly lower.
“We are ready to take a leading role in industrialising floating offshore wind,” said Sian Lloyd-Rees, UK manager for Mainstream Renewable Power. “Supporting the UK government’s net zero ambitions, the wind farm is well placed to capitalise on Scotland’s offshore expertise and industry as we work with local partners to explore offtake opportunities.”
Adam Morrison, UK manager for Ocean Winds, added: “We are excited to be advancing the development of commercial scale floating wind farms off Scotland and delivering significant new volumes of clean energy for the country to meet its energy transition objectives.
“We look forward to listening to the many stakeholders who will have an interest in these projects as we start the development process to realise the potential of these projects. Developing a robust route to market to underpin future investment will be an early focus.”
Mainstream has already partnered with Ocean Winds in the joint venture KF Wind in South Korea, and is in a consortium to bid in the upcoming leasing round for floating wind at Utsira Nord in Norway. Mainstream and Ocean Winds are also major shareholders in the leading floating wind technology provider Principle Power.
Ocean Winds is currently operating, building and developing three offshore wind projects in Scotland: Moray East, 950 MW; Moray West, 882 MW; and Caledonia, up to 2 GW.
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