OSLO, Norway, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A manifesto has
been unveiled to deliver a green industrial revolution in
Scotland with more than 5,000 new
jobs, a major fabrication yard, and the equivalent of up to £15
billion investment in floating offshore wind.
As partners, Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind have launched a
ten-point plan to create a skilled workforce and manufacturing
opportunities through the supply chain for generations to come.
At the heart of the plan is the establishment of a major
manufacturing plant in Scotland
for the fabrication and assembly of giant steel floating
structures, which would then be installed in the deep waters of the
North Sea.
It would be the largest industrial innovation in Scotland since the dawn of the oil and gas
sector, positioning Scotland as a
global leader in clean energy.
Aker Offshore Wind and Ocean Winds are the majority owners of
Principle Power Inc (PPI), which has developed the steel-based
floating platforms called 'WindFloat' - the world's most proven
floater technology - to harness this energy.
The WindFloat technology is currently deployed in two
operational projects, with a total capacity of 75MW, and which
utilise the largest wind turbines seen to date on floating
platforms.
The proven design means the consortium is uniquely ready to
deploy commercial-scale windfarms off Scotland's coasts, driving down the cost of
energy and unlocking the resources of deeper waters.
The two partners are working with the National Manufacturing
Institute of Scotland and the
University of Strathclyde to develop a
3D immersive visualisation of the fabrication yard where the
Windfloat platforms and turbines would be built, which would become
an industrial powerhouse of international significance.
The design is set to be promoted across the world early enough
to identify manufacturers and select the final location in
Scotland for the yard, and
fabricators interested in setting up in Scotland are also being invited into early
discussions.
This is well ahead of the offshore wind project phase and will
ensure that Scotland's fabricators
would then be ready for the implementation of the 'Scotwind'
leasing programme.
The joint ScotWind bids from Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind
could generate investment of the equivalent of up to £15
billion if the partnership is awarded up to three sites generating
6GW of wind energy in total.
Through direct work and supply chain opportunities, each
proposal is estimated to generate more than 5,000 jobs and 200
apprenticeships in Scotland across
all project stages, helping to deliver Scotland's 'just transition' from fossil
fuels, as well as mobilising the oil and gas and engineering supply
chain by providing major new opportunities.
There would also be extensive investment in Scotland's existing ports and harbours, as
well as innovative new subsea technology, to deliver the companies'
ambitions for up to 6GW of energy production through floating
offshore wind in the Outer Moray Firth.
More than 30 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are now in
place across the supply chain in support of the bids and the early
action needed.
There is a commitment to 60 percent local supply chain content
from the UK, of which 40 percent minimum content will come from
Scotland, with early enabling
investment of tens of millions of pounds in building supply chain
capability within the first four years of winning a site.
The new manifesto on how to deliver Scotland's green industrial revolution, forms
the basis of the Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind bids through
the ScotWind leasing programme.
The combined 6GW bids across several sites would be by far the
UK's biggest wind energy development and power millions of homes
with renewable energy.
Floating offshore wind is the latest advent in renewable energy
technology.
Around 80 percent of the world's wind resources are in waters
deeper than 60 metres and are unsuitable for fixed foundations.
"Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind are committed to delivering
a green industrial revolution in Scotland with the jobs, manufacturing and
supply chain to support generations to come," said Sian Lloyd-Rees, Managing Director of Aker
Offshore Wind UK.
"With Scotland's long history in hydro, experience in onshore
wind, and advances in marine renewables, our next frontier is the
development of floating offshore wind, moving out to deeper waters
and stronger, more consistent winds.
"It is time for innovation in the North Sea to lead the world
once again - this time to a net zero future. In our new manifesto,
we have set out our vision on the conditions to make the green
industrial revolution a reality, and have outlined how our
expertise, leadership and investment commitment can achieve this in
Scotland."
"A decade ago, we had a vision for the Moray Firth – the
competitive, large-scale deployment of offshore wind generation at
50m water depths, by commercialising
the jacket technology used in the two-turbine Beatrice Demonstrator
project," said Dan Finch,
Managing Director of Ocean Winds UK.
"We have successfully delivered that vision in Moray East –
cutting the cost of offshore wind generation by more than 50 per
cent. Now we have a new goal. We want to take our turbines out into
the deep waters of the North Sea, commercialising the WindFloat
technology proven in demonstrator projects.
"We will create the opportunity for Scotland to lead in that next step of the
renewables revolution – the fabrication and assembly of steel
floating foundations and the manifesto we have published today
explains how, with early supply chain investment and intervention,
we will turn that opportunity into a new Scottish industry with
global potential."
ScotWind 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.
Edinburgh-based Ocean Winds UK
is the developer behind Scotland's
largest windfarm, the 950MW Moray East windfarm, taking it from
concept in 2009 to a power-producing reality in 2021, and globally
it is the world's fourth largest wind energy company.
The Aker group of companies have had an extensive presence in
Scotland since the 1980s and have
been a driver of maritime and industrial development - building
ships and designing, constructing and servicing offshore
installations from Glasgow to
Aberdeen, on Scottish isles, in
ports and in the ocean.
In 2020, Aker established Aker Offshore Wind so its maritime and
offshore experience and expertise could be fully applied to the
transition to low-carbon energy.
NOTES TO EDITORS
"Floating Offshore Wind: delivering a Green Industrial
Revolution for Scotland - a
manifesto" can be accessed as an attachment.
The jobs and investment figures in this press release relate to
aggregate figures of a scenario of 6GW awarded capacity.
For further information, please contact:
Maria Lanza Knudsen, media
contact, +47 48 44 24 26, maria.knudsen@akeroffshorewind.com
Christian Yggeseth, investor contact, +47 915 10 000,
christian.yggeseth@akerhorizons.com
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The following files are available for download:
https://mb.cision.com/Main/20224/3440998/1487488.pdf
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