Christopher Wagg, Substructure Package Manager, Green Volt
Here’s the thing about the next phase of offshore wind, for years we have been reliant on fixed jacket wind turbine foundations. That’s meant sticking to shallower waters with certain wind speeds. If we’re serious about unlocking the full potential of offshore wind in the UK and beyond, it’s time for us to go deeper.
This is where Green Volt comes in. We’re building the world’s largest commercial-scale floating offshore windfarm. It’s a massive undertaking that requires ambitious thinking. But ambition alone isn’t enough. You need solid engineering, proven technologies and a team that knows how to handle the inevitable challenges that come with such ambition.
The potential of floating turbines is that they’re not anchored to the seabed, so we can deploy them in waters 100 metres deep and beyond. That opens up access to consistently stronger winds, which means more clean electricity flowing back to the grid. It’s straightforward – better wind resources equal better output.
Floating wind is still however in its infancy. We’re working through challenges as we go, adapting and learning in real-time. While our concept is sound, there is no playbook. Green Volt is moving from design to fabrication and delivery with no previous project to compare. We are truly pushing the boundaries of what is capable with offshore wind technology and forging a path forward for future projects.
Our strongest asset is the word-class skills and experience of our team, gained from tenure in the oil, gas and wider renewables sectors. We’ve gathered an incredibly skilled group of people who understand the challenges associated with this emerging technology, as well as industry regulation, who know how to work across complex supply chains and who’ve built the kind of partnerships that can turn ambitious projects like Green Volt into a reality.
Green Volt is moving at pace, its success thus far demonstrates the vital importance of strong partnerships in the renewable energy space. The venture between Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn, harnesses the collective expertise of teams from across the UK and Norway – two nations that have been driving forces in renewable energy delivery. The collaboration and trust between our teams has been crucial in opening doors for this project and managing the complexities that come with developing a windfarm of this scale.
We recently awarded the Green Volt onshore FEED contract to Worley and are in discussions with other potential partners to lock in future agreements to ensure we can continue to deliver the project on plan and at pace.
Through these partnerships, and the technologies we’re integrating, we’re not just building a windfarm. We’re setting the standard for what floating offshore wind can be and paving the way for everything that comes next.
