Ocean Wind and Aker Offshore Wind Combine Experience and Heritage in ScotWind Bid
Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind have submitted their joint bid to develop floating offshore wind generation in Scotland.
The partnership brings together Ocean Winds’ leading global expertise, gained locally delivering Scotland’s largest offshore windfarm (950MW Moray East); and Aker’s 40+ year history of supply chain and project delivery in the Scottish offshore wind and oil and gas sectors. The partners also both hold a majority stake in Principle Power, one of the most proven floating foundation solutions for offshore wind, operational at the Scottish Kincardine project.
This synergy will provide a proven foundation to reduce the cost of energy to benefit the consumer while at the same time increasing Scottish supply chain content to benefit the economy. The consortium is committed to delivering floating offshore wind energy at commercial scale, with a vision of large-scale Scottish job creation through ground-breaking supply chain investment.
The partnership will support Scotland to become a global leader in floating wind through substantial early investment in national industrial capability. This will allow the Scottish supply chain to mature in time to take full advantage of a transformational opportunity. Mapping and engaging with the local supply chain have already resulted in agreements with suppliers who have demonstrated preparedness and will enable early investment priorities. This is fundamental to increase local content, create a sustainable industrial transition, and deliver local skills and jobs.
Dan Finch, Managing Director of Ocean Winds UK, said: “Our vision is for Scotland to become the undisputed global leader in floating offshore wind. We are dedicated to work with all stakeholders to achieve this, to create high-skilled jobs in Scotland, and to generate exportable technology innovation. We took Moray East from concept to concrete-and steel-reality. Now we need a new concept to access the deep-water sites of Scotland’s ‘net-zero’ future. Aker’s heritage combined with OW’s experience will make floating offshore wind a commercial, low-cost, low-carbon reality.”
Sian Lloyd-Rees, Managing Director of Aker Offshore Wind UK, said: “The ScotWind project is a great step towards Scotland delivering on its national climate change policies through £multi-billion investments in energy infrastructure and the local supply chain, as well as the creation of thousands of local jobs. Our bid provides a platform for genuine technological innovation to benefit the whole offshore wind sector and position Scotland as an engineering world leader. Aker have been instrumental in the design and deployment of more than half of all semisubmersible offshore installations globally and we strongly believe our experience and investment approach will deliver this future.”
Aker Offshore Wind Investor relations: Christian Yggeseth, Tel: +47 915 10 000, christian.yggeseth@akerhorizons.com
Aker Offshore Wind Communications: Maria Lanza Knudsen, +47 48 44 24 26,
maria.knudsen@akeroffshorewind.com
OW Press Office: +44 7584 608842, craig.milroy@oceanwinds.com
About Ocean Winds
Ocean Winds is a global partnership owned 50:50 by EDPR and ENGIE, which was established in Summer 2020 to develop offshore wind technology across the world. The partnership has 4GW in construction and operation, including the 950MW Moray East (under construction) and Moray West (consented, awaiting a CfD) fixed offshore wind projects in the UK. OW targets to reach 5-7 GW of projects in operation or construction and 5-10 GW under advanced development by 2025.
About Aker Offshore Wind
Aker Offshore Wind Aker Offshore Wind is an offshore wind developer focused on assets in deep waters and specialized on floating energy systems. With global operations, the current portfolio consists of development projects and prospects located in Asia, North America and Europe. Aker Offshore Wind effectively deploys cost effective technologies from decades of offshore energy development. The company is majority-owned by Aker Horizons, an investment company dedicated to creating value and reducing emissions from renewable energy and decarbonization technologies. Aker Offshore Wind [AOW-ME] is listed on Euronext Growth in Oslo, Norway.
ScotWind
ScotWind Leasing is the process currently being undertaken by Crown Estate Scotland, at the direction of the Scottish Government, to grant property rights for the seabed in Scottish waters for new commercial scale offshore wind projects. It is the first round of seabed leasing for offshore windfarms in Scotland for a decade.
The application process closed on 16 July 2021 and seeks a broad range of information about the proposals and the developer including a supply chain development statement document. The process intended to allow the Government to determine which application should be given preferred status and offered an option agreement in the event of there being competing interest for a site.
www.crownestatescotland.com/what-we-do/marine/asset/offshore-wind/section/scotwind-leasing
