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RWE-funded study highlights floating wind potential for Scotland

By: Tom Russell 07/12/2021 RWE

General Windfarms

A study funded by RWE claims that Scotland could become a world leader in producing low carbon concrete foundations for floating offshore wind farms. The study identifies potential business opportunities from the current ScotWind seabed leasing round, and calls on Scottish politicians, project developers, suppliers and industry experts to join forces and investigate how best to unlock the potential, while maximising opportunities for local investment.

Carried out in partnership with researchers at the UK’s Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, through its Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence (FOWCOE), the study was also supported by offshore wind industry experts at the Concrete Centre.

Floating foundations use both steel and concrete designs, but most research in the UK to date has focused on steel designs. The study addresses the feasibility of a production facility, capable of building 33 concrete floating foundations for 15 MW turbines each year.

Researchers reviewed Scotland’s existing experience and capabilities for producing specialist concrete focused on using low carbon methods and materials. They found that both Scottish ports and industry have existing experience and skills from producing concrete at scale that can be applied to this low carbon alternative.

Ralph Torr, Programme Manager, ORE Catapult’s Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence, said: “Floating offshore wind presents Scotland with significant opportunities, but these come with some industrial challenges. Delivering the anticipated capacity of floating offshore wind will require scale-up and repurposing of supply chain capacity as well as the creation of new capabilities. That is why this assessment of the role that the concrete supply chain in Scotland can play in delivering large-scale floating wind projects is such an important step. It opens up new possibilities for Scotland’s leadership of floating offshore wind and how it can translate into tangible economic benefit.”

It also said that to keep costs low and reduce carbon footprint, concrete production should take place at or close to the quayside where the foundations would be deployed. It identified that there are four Scottish ports - Hunterston, Kishorn, Port of Cromarty Firth (Invergordon) and Ardersier, as well as clusters of potential sites, including the Cromarty Firth and the Forth and Tay, which could potentially meet the capacities required.

“Floating offshore wind and the current ScotWind leasing round represent a huge opportunity to develop a world-leading industry in Scotland. This report, commissioned by RWE, demonstrates the significant business potential from the manufacture of low carbon concrete foundations, and makes clear that Scotland is best placed to realise that. Committed to invest around £15 billion through 2030 to expand its clean energy capabilities in the UK, including Floating Wind, RWE is keen to work in collaboration with all parties to maximise these opportunities for the country’s economy and workforce,” said Tom Glover, UK Country Chair, RWE

RWE currently operates 17 offshore wind farms in five countries, and is developing and constructing some of the world’s most advanced offshore wind farms. By 2030, as part of its investment and growth plan "Growing Green", RWE intends to triple its global offshore wind capacity from currently 2.4 GW to 8 GW.

RWE is participating in multiple high-profile floating demo projects in Norway, Spain and the US, each based on different concepts. The most advanced project is the TetraSpar Demonstrator project, which is operating off the Norwegian coast near Stavanger in waters as deep as 200 metres. It aims to have 1 GW of floating wind either in operation or under construction by 2030.

For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide, click here.

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RWE-funded study highlights floating wind potential for Scotland

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