Hooking up offshore wind farms directly to North Sea platforms could help oil firms into the renewable energy sector.
It would also aid operators in decarbonising their operations and support economic activity in the basin, according to a study commissioned by Crown Estate Scotland.
Carried out by consultancy firm Natural Power, the report follows the recent announcement of the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) offshore wind leasing process.
Organised by Crown Estate Scotland, the round will allow companies to secure acreage to build wind farms of varying sizes.
Bidders will be able to apply for the rights to build small scale innovative offshore wind projects, of less than 100 megawatts (MW), as well as larger projects.
Those bigger schemes will then be used to power offshore oil and gas platforms, helping the sector to deliver on its decarbonisation pledges.
INTOG is the first leasing process of its type and will be managed in a similar manner to ScotWind, also run by Crown Estate Scotland.
With a rapidly expanding offshore wind market, large numbers of companies are now seeking to diversify into the sector, some for the first time, the report found.
A combination of government policy, demand and supporting infrastructure is driving a great deal of interest in Scotland specifically.
Though separate to the ScotWind, which was for commercial scale offshore wind projects, the report’s authors highlight the potential for integration with INTOG projects.
Wider benefits of INTOG identified by the report include the opportunity for oil and gas firms, with little or no renewables experience, to use the process as a way to gain a foothold in the sector.
Similarly, those companies which have already committed to offshore renewables through ScotWind, including BP, Shell and TotalEnergies, could expand and deepen their knowledge.
Colin Palmer, director marine at Crown Estate Scotland, said: “INTOG leasing creates a very attractive opportunity for operators and developers to progress a just transition and help meet the challenging decarbonisation targets set by industry and government.
“This report highlights how INTOG provides a way for oil and gas operators to not only meet decarbonisation targets, but also to establish themselves in offshore renewables. By bringing together these sectors, new jobs can be created and new low carbon innovation supported.”
Applications for INTOG leases will be judged on a mixture of price and quality, with the bidding window currently anticipated to open in June 2022.
However some industry figures have raised concerns that the process will focus too much on the price of projects, potentially making it uncompetitive.
Applicants will also be required to submit a Supply Chain Development Statement, outlining the nature and location of any supply chain activity linked to their proposed project.
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