World’s biggest floating offshore wind farm gets go-ahead off coast of Scotland

The world’s biggest offshore floating wind farm is set to be built off the coast of Scotland after the project was given the green light.

The Green Volt project, located off the coast of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, will boast up to 35 floating turbines and generate 560 megawatts of energy. The generated power will be supplied to offshore oil and gas platforms, as well as the UK grid.

The current largest development, located off the coast of Norway, has just 11 turbines and generates around 88 megawatts of energy. First Minister Humza Yousaf hailed the development as “great news”, stating that “Scotland is one of the best places in the world to develop offshore wind and its supply chain, and we are determined to maximise the huge economic opportunity offshore wind can bring,”.

He added: “We have already underlined our commitment to making Scotland a global leader in offshore wind by committing to invest up to £500 million over five years to catalyse private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of the sector.”

“Investor confidence in Scotland’s renewable sector is growing as illustrated by significant investments in ScotWind leasing rounds and in the ports and supply chain infrastructure facilities that will enable the sector to develop. We have a strong record in delivering robust consents, ensuring the right projects are built in the right place at the right time.”

The news is a boost for the First Minister, coming after his administration scrapped an interim target to slash carbon emissions by 75% come 2030, with Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan admitting the aim was now “out of reach”. Nicol Stephen, former deputy first minister and current Scottish Lib Dem leader now at the helm of Flotation Energy which owns a 50% stake in the venture hailed the green light as positioning his company and their ally Vargronn “at the heart of the energy transition”.

“Green Volt is of international significance, placing Scotland at the leading edge of a new floating wind sector,” he added. ‘This multi-billion pound development can now move forward confidently, creating hundreds of local jobs and proving that the UK and Scottish supply chain is ready to deliver commercial scale floating projects, at pace.”

Olav Hetland, chief executive officer of Vargronn, said the project – the first of commercial scale in Europe – being given approval was an “important moment for the whole offshore wind industry” and it would serve as a “stepping stone” from the current smaller developments to much larger ones.

Sir Ian Wood, who is based in Aberdeen and leads the North Sea net zero transition outfit ETZ, said that the project “sends a huge signal” to investors that Scotland is at the forefront of pioneering offshore wind technologies. Sir Ian praised the Scottish Government and its agencies, saying: “I pay tribute to the Scottish Government and its agencies for taking this welcome decision which follows the opening of the world’s first floating wind innovation centre in Aberdeen by the First Minister last month.”

He continued to highlight the region’s strengths: “With one of the largest concentrations of subsea engineering capabilities anywhere in the world and the largest cluster of energy supply chain companies anywhere in the UK, there truly is no better location than the north-east of Scotland to invest in low carbon technologies.”