Wind Energy – Floating Wind
The developers of the project, Norway-based Vårgrønn and Edinburgh, Scotland-headquartered Flotation Energy, awarded the Phase 1 FEED contracts to Aker Solutions and ABB, and Aibel and Hitachi Energy.
The announcement came as the UK and Norway announced the launch of a Green Industrial Partnership, combining capabilities in clean energy, to drive economic growth and deliver on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.
Green Volt won a UK Government Contract for Difference (CfD) in September 2024 and is one of the first large-scale commercial floating wind developments in Europe. The CfD puts it on track to become the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm with a government contract.
The FEED 1 scopes include engineering, procurement and construction of an offshore substation, encompassing both the jacket and topsides, as well as the design of the high-voltage equipment, such as power to oil and gas assets and power to the onshore substation.
The electrification of oil and gas assets with offshore wind, while simultaneously providing power to the UK grid, is a new concept with many engineering and electrical complexities. The decision to award contracts to multiple partnerships was based on the specific skills of each supplier, as well as Green Volt’s ambition to collaborate with, and develop, the UK’s floating wind supply chain.
Many of the scopes will be managed out of the contractors’ UK offices in Aberdeen and London. Successful concepts will then be carried forward into the next phase of the FEED.
Once operational, Green Volt will not only supply clean power to the grid but also help the oil and gas industry to meet its goal of halving emissions in 2030 by electrifying offshore assets.
