Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind (AOW) have unveiled their joint bid for the development of Scottish offshore wind. The partnership has submitted a bid as part of the ScotWind process for several sites in the Outer Moray Firth, using floating devices to deliver 6,000MW of energy.
OW and AOW would use steel-based semi-submersible floaters called ‘Windfloat’, which is developed by Principle Power, which is majority owned by AOW and OW. As partners, Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind also have launched a ten-point plan to create a skilled workforce and manufacturing opportunities through the supply chain for generations to come. At the heart of the plan is the establishment of a manufacturing plant in Scotland for the fabrication and assembly of the steel floating structures, which would then be installed in the deep waters of the North Sea. The two partners are working with the National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland and the University of Strathclyde to develop a 3D immersive visualisation of the fabrication yard where the Windfloat platforms and turbines would be built. The joint ScotWind bids from Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind could generate investment of the equivalent of up to £15 billion if the partnership is awarded up to three sites generating 6GW of wind energy in total.
