Fiona Moir – Learning and Development Manager
How do you successfully deliver a floating offshore wind project of unprecedented scale like Green Volt? Engineering excellence? Essential. The right commercial framework? Absolutely. But the real answer is simpler – it’s the people.
Green Volt’s success hinges on the team behind it: not just their technical skills, but their behaviours, their willingness to collaborate and their ability to adapt in an industry writing its own rulebook. This is not your typical project. The scale and complexity of Green Volt demands excellence across every specialism. It is absolutely true we need specialist and engineering brilliance to meet our ambitious project goals, but we equally rely on our People & Culture team, communications professionals, finance and legal experts, health and safety…the list goes on.
It’s this mix of knowledge and expertise across departments that is enabling us to deliver a world-first commercial scale floating offshore wind farm. From a development perspective, we’re creating a culture of continuous learning where different perspectives and experiences come together to tackle complex challenges.
For me, making the shift from traditional energy into renewables has been a rewarding transition, and I’m far from alone. Almost 50% of our team at Flotation Energy came from oil and gas, bringing invaluable expertise in engineering, supply chain management, project delivery and an unparalleled understanding of the North Sea environment. The transferable skills are hugely valuable, and the industry is actively supporting this ‘just transition’ through new training programmes and occupational mapping resources. As we move into the construction and operations phases, we’re going to see even more opportunities open up.
While we’re tapping into decades of North Sea expertise, we’re equally focused on nurturing the next generation. The impact of Green Volt as a front-runner floating wind project will be multi-generational. Working across generations brings a fresh mix of approaches. Younger team members bring new perspectives that can challenge and refine past processes, and when that’s combined with longstanding expertise, the results are impressive.
For anyone starting out and wondering if renewables is the right sector for you, here’s my advice: stay curious. Ask questions without hesitation. Be ready and willing to seize opportunities as they arise. The beauty is that there is no single path into renewables. Whether you start with a foundation apprenticeship, or go the university route, the opportunities are there for everyone with a passion for driving change.
Our commitment to learning and development doesn’t stop internally. We work closely with industry bodies and academic institutions to help shape the skills and opportunities needed for tomorrow’s renewable sector. This external collaboration ensures that while we’re developing our own people, we’re also contributing to the broader industry framework that will support the growth of floating offshore wind.
Ultimately, delivering Green Volt comes down to having the right people in the right place with the right skills, and the commitment to develop and retain them. It’s pioneering, it’s challenging, and it’s genuinely exciting to be part of setting the standard for what comes next.
