Green Volt Floating Offshore Windfarm
Delivering renewable energy by 2029
Powering towards net zero
Together the partners, Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn will generate renewable energy from new floating offshore wind farms which will enable the electrification and decarbonisation of participating offshore oil and gas installations in the North Sea. Excess power will transfer to the UK Grid to the benefit of UK consumers.
The partners applied for the lease through Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) round and were offered site exclusivity in March 2023. Through INTOG, Green Volt will make a significant contribution to Scotland’s net zero target and support The North Sea Transition Deal’s goal of reducing offshore emissions by a minimum of 50% by 2030.
The global floating offshore wind market is poised for significant growth. This fast-tracked project will cement Scotland’s position as the world leader in floating offshore wind and provide significant potential to export Scottish know-how and expertise worldwide by catalysing the early development of a local supply chain.
With a minimum nominal capacity of 300 MW and potential to reach 560 MW, once operational in 2029 – Green Volt will make a significant contribution towards:
- Scotland’s 2045 net zero target
- Reducing offshore emissions by 50% – a North Sea Transition Deal goal
- The UK’s target of 5 GW of floating wind by 2030
- Catalysing a Scottish and UK supply chain for floating offshore wind
- Providing power to the UK Grid
560 MW
nominal capacity
1 million
tonnes of CO2, each year
35
floating wind turbines.
renewable power annually
to the UK Grid
About the partners
Flotation Energy, headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, sits at the heart of the energy transition. It’s determined to support the big switch to sustainable, clean and affordable energy through the application of innovative offshore wind technology.
An ambitious offshore wind developer, Flotation Energy has a 13GW portfolio that covers both fixed and floating developments globally, with projects in the UK, Ireland, Taiwan, Japan and Australia. Whilst Flotation Energy develops projects independently, it also recognises the strategic value of partnership and collaboration to deliver proven, cost-effective solutions.
Vårgrønn is an agile, Norway-based offshore wind company powering the energy transition through development, construction, operation, and ownership of offshore wind projects and related infrastructure. Vårgrønn is a joint venture between the energy company Plenitude (Eni) and the Norwegian energy entrepreneur and investor HitecVision.
Vårgrønn’s current pipeline of projects and prospective projects spans England, Scotland, Ireland and Norway in addition to early-stage initiatives in the Baltics. Vårgrønn holds a 20% share in Dogger Bank, the world’s largest windfarm under construction.
By 2030, Vårgrønn targets at least 5 GW of offshore wind in operation or sanctioned across Northern Europe.
Timeline for the project:
Flotation Energy was early to recognise the opportunity for floating offshore wind to decarbonise offshore power generation, with members of the team having previously been involved in the Beatrice Demonstrator – the first project to power an oil and gas platform with renewable energy.
2019 - As construction of the Kindardine offshore floating wind farm kicked off, Flotation Energy identified an area within the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) where there were platforms positioned with long field lives and high electrical loads. This area was deemed an optimal starting point to help make a significant contribution to the North Sea Transition Deal – by replacing large scale, inefficient gas-fired power generation with renewable electricity from offshore wind.
2020 – Flotation Energy begins environmental surveys on a redundant oil and gas field in the area, which is in the process of being decommissioned. The brownfield site is confirmed as an exceptional opportunity to create an offshore floating wind farm, with water depths of 90-100m and high-quality wind resource.
2021 – Flotation Energy works with regulators to understand the potential for project “Green Volt”. A project aimed to decarbonise offshore power generation for oil and gas platforms in the North Sea. Flotation Energy completes and submits an Environmental Scoping report to Marine Scotland, reaching the first major milestone in the Marine Consent process. Crown Estate Scotland announces a new leasing round for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonisation (INTOG).
2020 – Flotation Energy begins environmental surveys on a redundant oil and gas field in the area, which is in the process of being decommissioned. The brownfield site is confirmed as an exceptional opportunity to create an offshore floating wind farm, with water depths of 90-100m and high-quality wind resource.
2021 – Flotation Energy works with regulators to understand the potential for project “Green Volt”. A project aimed to decarbonise offshore power generation for oil and gas platforms in the North Sea. Flotation Energy completes and submits an Environmental Scoping report to Marine Scotland, reaching the first major milestone in the Marine Consent process. Crown Estate Scotland announces a new leasing round for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonisation (INTOG).
In November 2022, Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn submitted a leasing application under the INTOG Leasing Round, for two projects, Green Volt and Cenos, which if approved, are to be developed within the identified area within the UKCS.
In August 2023 the Onshore planning application was submitted to Aberdeenshire Council.
In March 2023 Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn are awarded exclusivity to develop up to 1.9 GW of floating offshore wind in Scotland under the INTOG leasing round for their Green Volt and Cenos projects.
In January 2023 the Offshore consent application was submitted to the Scottish Government Marine Directorate.
In March 2023 Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn are awarded exclusivity to develop up to 1.9 GW of floating offshore wind in Scotland under the INTOG leasing round for their Green Volt and Cenos projects.
In January 2023 the Offshore consent application was submitted to the Scottish Government Marine Directorate.
A sequence of significant funding and investment milestones will be met, initially with the INTOG Option Agreement stage, followed by the Contracts for Differences scheme application to support low carbon electricity generation. In tandem with this the remaining work packages will be commercially defined in the lead-up to the Final Investment Decision at the end of the year.
Benefitting from the advance engineering and commercial strategy employed, contracts will be executed to deliver a range of manufacturing and final engineering activities. This phase will conclude with serial manufacture and assembly of floating wind turbine packages that maximises use of Scottish infrastructure along with supply-chain capabilities.
A commissioning program to install the floating wind turbines and associated transmission facilities will be executed over the course of the year to deliver Project Green Volt. Subsequently oil and gas assets will be able to access renewable electricity, replacing power generated by offshore gas fired power generation, in addition to exporting surplus electricity to the UK grid. Taken together, the project mitigates emissions equivalent around 1 million tonnes of CO2 each year.
Green Volt will allow the full retirement of existing offshore power generators and use a grid-connected wind farm to deliver reliable, renewable electricity, significantly reducing the carbon emissions of the platform’s power demand – by more than 80%.
This is great news for our planet resulting in a move away from the dependency upon gas-fired or diesel power generation systems which are fuel-hungry and carbon-intensive. Project Green Volt expected to become one of the world’s largest wind farms by 2029, and promises to be a landmark opportunity for Scotland and for Scotland’s economy.
About the project
Our history
The Flotation Energy team has experience in delivering floating wind farms, having delivered Kincardine – the world’s largest grid connected and operational floating offshore wind farm at the time. Kincardine is located in the vicinity of the Fowlsheugh seabird colony; making us experienced in assessing and managing potential environmental impacts from floating wind farms in sensitive locations. We have successfully worked with regulators and their environmental advisers through development consent processes.
In addition to our floating wind experience, we also have experience in electrifying oil and gas platforms with offshore wind. The Flotation Energy team members were involved in the electrification of the Beatrice oil platform in 1999, which to date is the only fully electrified oil and gas asset in the North Sea. The Beatrice Demonstrator project in 2005/6 included two wind turbines being integrated into the Beatrice platform electrical system.
Planning and consent
In order for the project to be granted permission for construction, installation and operation, both offshore and onshore consent applications are required.
As the project proposes a greater than 1 MW offshore generating station it requires consent under the Electricity Act 1989 (as amended) and marine licences under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (beyond 12 nautical miles) and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 (within 12 nautical miles).
The onshore infrastructure (buried cable and new substation) planning application will be considered by Aberdeenshire Council as a national development project under National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) (2023).
We have now been submitted both the offshore and onshore Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, which support the consent applications. The offshore consent application (for section 36 of the Electricity Act and the marine licences) was submitted to the Scottish Government Marine Directorate on 20 January 2023, and the onshore application to Aberdeenshire Council on 03 August 2023. A range of studies and surveys have been conducted to inform project design and application process. Consultation with the public and key stakeholders have also informed the project and fed into the consenting process.
Consultation process
We’re carrying out lots of our own technical and environmental assessments but people living near to our projects have local knowledge we would really value.
Early consultation with local communities and consultees is a key part of this process, so that feedback on potential social and environmental impacts, opportunities and potential mitigation measures can be considered in advance of an application being made.
Between 20 September and 20 October 2022 we sought views to inform our offshore consent application. Between 23 January 2023 and 30 March 2023 we sought views to inform our onshore consent application. These rounds of consultation represented the first opportunity for local communities and other stakeholders to share their views on the offshore and onshore aspects of our project.
Surveys
Environmental surveys were conducted between 2020 and 2022 both onshore and offshore to inform the project design and EIA processes. These investigated shipping activity, seabed habitats and ecology, offshore ornithology, terrestrial ecology, onshore ground conditions, land use and a host of other aspects of the environment in which the project is situated.
In 2024 the final engineering and technical surveys will be completed offshore.
Scoping
Scoping is the process of identifying the key issues in relation to potential environmental effects of the project and is also an opportunity to canvass the views of the local community and key stakeholders. Scoping allows the identification of potential issues at an early stage so that appropriate mitigation measures can be planned as soon as possible into the development. In addition, scoping ensures that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is proportionate to the key issues identified for the project.
An offshore scoping report was submitted to Marine Scotland for their opinion in November 2021 as part of the EIA process. The scoping report presents the full details of the nature and purpose of the project and its possible effects on the environment and is available on the Marine Directorate’s website – https://marine.gov.scot/data/scoping-request-green-volt-floating-offshore-wind-farm-east-aberdeenshire-coast
A separate onshore scoping report was submitted to Aberdeenshire Council in March 2022.
Delivering net zero
The project is a major contributor towards the goals of the North Sea Transition Deal, signed by HM Government and the UK oil and gas industry in 2021. The Transition Deal mandates reductions in emissions from oil and gas production that can only be achieved by using low carbon electricity to power offshore facilities.
The climate emergency must be dealt with. The Green Volt project has the potential to contribute to the Net Zero targets and to play a role in decarbonisation of the UK economy.
The location of the project in the vicinity of oil and gas fields and associated infrastructure presents a unique opportunity.
Green Volt is deliverable now and it is essential if Scotland is to be successful in delivering Net Zero.
News and Updates
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Supply chain
Flotation Energy is an independent, Scottish offshore wind developer. We are committed to the development of a local supply chain and the importance of a Just Transition for the UK energy sector workforce.
Green Volt are currently seeking ways to maximise UK participation in this project, which promises to be the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm by 2029.
We believe Green Volt will act as the catalyst for a broad industrial supply base to develop ahead of larger, future developments as part of Scotwind and other projects. Our project will help develop and secure long-term investment and job growth in Scotland. We have already started supply chain engagement in Scotland and will build on this substantially throughout 2022 and 2023.
