The floating offshore wind project, jointly owned by Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn, is anticipated to be in operation by 2029.
Vårgrønn, a collaboration between Plenitude (Eni) and HitecVision, along with Flotation Energy, has received offshore planning permission for their 560MW Green Volt floating offshore wind project in Scotland.
The offshore approvals come after obtaining onshore consent earlier this month.
This approval positions Green Volt to potentially become the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in Europe, as it now has all the necessary planning approvals.
Green Volt is expected to commence operations in 2029 and will comprise up to 35 floating wind turbines upon completion.
Additionally, in November of last year, the partners finalized exclusivity agreements for two floating offshore wind farms, including the 1.4GW Cenos.
The goal is to combine renewable energy generation with current offshore oil and gas activities.
The contracts specify that the wind farms will directly provide renewable electricity to the oil and gas platforms.
This will substitute the current use of natural gas and diesel for power generation, in line with worldwide initiatives to decrease dependence on fossil fuels.
Furthermore, Green Volt is expected to contribute to the UK’s power grid, potentially reducing carbon emissions by one million tonnes annually.
Scotland First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “It is great news that we have consented the first project in the Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round – this is a significant milestone, which will help secure Scotland’s place at the forefront of floating wind technology.
“We have already underlined our commitment to making Scotland a global leader in offshore wind by committing to invest up to £500m [$618.02m) over five years to catalyse private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of the sector.”
Vårgrønn CEO Olav Hetland said: “With Green Volt being Europe’s first commercial-scale floating wind project, achieving offshore consent for the project marks an important moment for the whole offshore wind industry.
“At 560MW, Green Volt serves as an essential stepping stone from current small-scale projects to gigawatt-size developments, supporting the supply chain in scaling up new technology.
“Floating wind is set to be a huge global market in the decades to come.
By being a frontrunner, Scotland is now positioned to be home to world-leading expertise and a whole industry of new jobs.
Green Volt will deploy pioneering technology at an unprecedented scale, advancing what is possible in renewable energy.”
Source Scotland
