Scottish energy minister Gillian Martin officially opened a new Edinburgh HQ for floating wind venture partners Bluefloat Energy and Renantis.
Opened on Wednesday, the pair said the new premises will act as a hub for development of its UK floating offshore wind pipeline.
Gillian Martin MSP, and Minister for Energy and the Environment officially opened the office in Edinburgh’s west end, which will initially accommodate a 45-strong team.
BlueFloat Energy and Renantis (formerly Falck Renewables) are working together on a “world leading” UK portfolio across some 3.3GW of floating sites in Scotland. This includes two ScotWind sites – Broadshore north of Fraserburgh and Bellrock east of Aberdeen – as well as a majority stake in a consortium with Ørsted developing the 1GW Stromar project east of Wick.
A year-long monitoring campaign at the latter site kicked off earlier this year.
Two further innovation projects, Sinclair & Scaraben, which lie adjacent to Broadshore were secured in the recent INTOG leasing round and could underpin the consortium’s larger ScotWind portfolio.
A further Crown Estate seabed auction is set for the Celtic Sea next year, with the potential for an additional 1.5 GW of floating wind through the Petroc and Llywellyn projects off the southwest coast of England and Wales.
Addressing stakeholders and employees at the opening event, Ms Martin said: “Scotland is uniquely placed to play a leading role in the renewables revolution, and the support and collaboration of companies such as BlueFloat and Renantis will be key in supporting Scotland’s net zero ambitions, while helping to secure a fair and just energy transition.
“The opening of this office is an important milestone in the partnership between BlueFloat and Renantis.
“I look forward to following the partnership as it scales up and develops its exciting ScotWind projects – Broadshore and Bellrock – as well as the INTOG projects – Sinclair and Scaraben – which will both play an important role in realising our enormous offshore wind potential.”
Partnership managing director Susie Lind said it was a “momentous day” for the companies and their plans.
“Our new Edinburgh office will be the hub from which we develop our UK pipeline of floating offshore wind farms, and through our diverse team of specialists, we are integrating cutting-edge technology with a plan to cultivate a robust Scottish workforce and stimulate local supply chain growth.
“Today’s event underlines our dedication to playing a leading role in Scotland’s energy transition, with the goal of making a positive impact on our people and communities.”