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Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn, a joint venture between Plenitude (Eni) and HitecVision, have announced that the 560 MW Green Volt floating offshore wind project in the North Sea has been granted full onshore planning approval. “Green Volt is a highly ambitious project, designed for rapid deployment to provide significant support to the North Sea Transition Deal’s ambitions to cut offshore emissions by 2030,” said Alexander Quayle CEng FIMechE, Project Director at Flotation Energy. “We are delighted to have reached the critical milestone of onshore consent and grateful to Aberdeenshire Council and other community members for engaging with and supporting our pioneering Green Volt project.”  Green Volt is 50% owned by Flotation Energy and 50% by Vårgrønn. Once online, Green Volt will deliver electricity to oil and gas platforms, replacing power currently generated by gas and diesel turbines, as well as to the UK grid. In line with the North Sea Transition Deal, oil and gas operators have pledged a 50% cut in offshore greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. This effort forms part of a wider initiative to address environmental issues and move towards sustainable energy solutions. Highlighted in the North Sea Transition Authority’s March 2024 emission reduction plan, the electrification of offshore platforms is key to meeting these emissions targets, marking a shift from fossil fuels to cleaner, electricity-based energy systems for platform operations. Chris Hill, UK Managing Director at Vårgrønn, commented: “We are thrilled to achieve this important milestone in the development of our Green Volt project. By being execution-ready, Green Volt is uniquely positioned to kickstart a local supply chain for floating offshore wind in the UK and Europe. The opportunity for suppliers to get a first-mover advantage in a rapidly growing global market is now.” #cleanenergy

SSE plc offshore wind farm could generate 2,300 jobs in Ireland. A proposed offshore wind farm in Ireland anticipates an €800 million economic boost and the creation of 2,300 jobs. #electricity #energybills #energycompany #energycosts #energyjobs #Energysecurity #energysupply #Ireland #offshorewind #powergeneration

Equinor and bp have reached an agreement to scrap the Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificate (OREC) Agreement for the 1.26 GW Empire Wind 2 project for the 1.26 GW Empire Wind 2 offshore wind project after citing rising costs and supply chain disruptions. Equinor and bp’s decision to terminate the deal with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) was made to reflect ‘changed economic circumstances on an industry-wide scale’. The companies stated that the decision was driven by ‘inflation, interest rates and supply chain disruptions that prevented Empire Wind 2’s existing OREC agreement from being viable’. As a result, Equinor and bp were now seeking ‘new offtake opportunities’ for Empire Wind 2. “Commercial viability is fundamental for ambitious projects of this size and scale," said Molly Morris, President of Equinor Renewables Americas. “The Empire Wind 2 decision provides the opportunity to reset and develop a stronger and more robust project going forward. “We will continue to closely engage our many community partners across the state. As evidenced by the progress at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, our offshore wind activity is ready to generate union jobs and significant economic activity in New York.” “bp is supportive of NYSERDA’s leadership and commitment to offshore wind, which we believe is a critical part of New York State’s and America’s clean energy future,” added Joshua Weinstein, bp’s president of offshore wind Americas. “Offshore wind can deliver reliable renewable power as well as economic benefits to the state and its communities.” #cleanenergy

Green Volt, leading floating offshore wind project, advances with onshore planning approval   Leading offshore wind developers Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn, a joint venture between Plenitude (Eni) and HitecVision, have announced that its floating offshore wind project Green Volt has been granted full onshore planning approval. 🔽 Find more info in comments below 🔽 #GreenVolt #OffshoreWind #OnshorePlanning #FlotationEnergy #Vårgrønn #Plenitude #RenewableEnergy #GreenEnergy ⤵️ Click Follow on our page to keep up to date with energy news ⤵️

TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with European Energy to acquire an 85% equity stake in the 240 MW Jammerland Bugt offshore wind project and a 72.2% equity stake in the 165 MW Lillebaelt South nearshore wind project in Denmark. The two companies also outlined their intentions to develop and operate new large scale offshore wind projects in Sweden and Finland through a joint-venture, and to bid for the upcoming offshore wind tenders in Denmark. “We are delighted to expand our collaboration with European Energy,” said Vincent Stoquart, Senior Vice President, Renewables at TotalEnergies. “These new offshore wind projects in Denmark are aligned with our strategy of developing renewable projects in merchant countries at competitive cost. This partnership will allow TotalEnergies to take advantage of European Energy’s longstanding presence in northern Europe to expand its business there.” The Jammerland Bugt and Lillebaelt South wind facilities are both included in the nine open-door projects that were confirmed by the Danish Energy Agency in December 2023 and have obtained exclusivity and grid connection permits. The final construction permits are expected in mid-2024, with a view for the projects to come online by 2030. The electricity generated by these two Danish wind sites will be sold directly on the electricity wholesale market or through corporate power purchase agreements. Today’s agreement builds on a previous agreement between TotalEnergies and European Energy in September 2023 to jointly develop, build and operate onshore renewable projects in multiple geographies. “This partnership with TotalEnergies will accelerate the renewable energy transition in Northern Europe,” commented Knud Erik Andersen, Group CEO at European Energy. “Our combined expertise in developing greenfield projects and TotalEnergies’ experience in large-scale operations will enable us to deliver state-of-the-art offshore wind facilities. “We are excited to contribute our deep knowledge of the Nordic energy market to this venture, ensuring the successful realisation of these ambitious projects. This collaboration not only strengthens our position in the renewable energy sector but also underscores our commitment to sustainable development and energy independence in Europe.” #cleanenergy

Hellenic Cables announces its first successful project delivery in the burgeoning offshore wind sector of the US, marked by the power-up of the first offshore wind turbine in New York at the South Fork Wind project, which is a significant milestone for the US offshore wind industry, supplying renewable electricity to about 70,000 households. Playing a key role in New York's first offshore wind farm project, Hellenic Cables was responsible for the designing, manufacturing, supplying, testing, and termination of 30 km of 66 kV XLPE-insulated subsea inter-array cables and associated accessories. Apart from providing top-notch services to the growing  US offshore wind sector, Hellenic Cables has a strong project pipeline in this sector, with contracts for the supply of inter-array cables for flagship projects. Alexis Alexiou, CEO of Cenergy Holdings, commented: "We're proud to work with industry leaders such as Ørsted and Eversource Energy on a project that will help transform US energy sector." Kostas Savvakis, General Manager of Hellenic Cables, stated: "Together, we're building a sustainable future with clean, renewable energy." #CenergyHoldings #HellenicCables #SouthForkWind #WindIndustry #OffshoreWind #cables #energy #sustainability #Ørsted #Eversource

Deadline extended for the first Fit 4 Offshore Renewables (F4OR) programme in Wales .   Wales-based companies who want to bid for work in the floating offshore wind industry now have until Friday 17 November to apply to take part in the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s first Fit 4 Offshore Renewables (F4OR) programme in Wales. The original deadline of Friday 10 November has been extended to Friday 17 November 2023 to allow extra time for expressions of interest. Floventis Energy has committed up to £180,000 to ORE Catapult’s 12-18 month floating wind specific development programme along with unique access to the Llŷr development team, aimed at maximising the opportunities for Welsh companies in Llŷr and the forthcoming Celtic Sea Round 5 projects. F4OR Wales will mark the first time that the F4OR programme has been tailored exclusively for the floating wind market in Wales. Applications are encouraged from firms with more than ten employees and have a turnover greater than £1 million, with products or skills that are relevant to the offshore wind sector. For more information and to apply by filling out an Expression of Interest form, go to F4OR - ORE (catapult.org.uk). Companies can apply until Friday 17 November to be considered for the programme. Floventis Energy Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult #fit4offshore #wales #floatingoffshorewind

Credit article to reNEWS - Renewable Energy News TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with European Energy to develop offshore wind projects in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. The agreement entails the acquisition by TotalEnergies of an 85% equity stake in the Jammerland Bugt offshore wind project (240MW) and a 72.2% equity stake in the Lillebaelt South nearshore wind project (165MW), both of which are in Denmark. The two sites are included in the nine open-door projects that were confirmed by the Danish Energy Agency in December 2023 and have obtained exclusivity and grid connection permits. The final construction permits are expected in mid-2024 and start up by 2030. The electricity generated will be sold directly on the electricity wholesale market or through corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs). #Denmark #Europe #EuropeanEnergy #Finland #OffshoreWind #Sweden #TotalEnergies #QEDGroup #QEDEnergy

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released a new report, "FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND OUTLOOK" for 2024. Highlights: - The global floating wind industry is still nascent, with around 270 megawatts of operational capacity as of 2023. - However, the global pipeline for new floating projects is 244 GW - G7 countries are increasingly scaling up national efforts to enhance their floating offshore wind capacities – with the United Kingdom, France, the United States and Japan among the most active countries - Key challenges are its limited operational scale and its high requirements for capital and operational expenditures (CAPEX/OPEX) compared to fixed-bottom offshore wind. - Nevertheless, the projected economies of scale are expected to make floating offshore wind competitive and commercially viable by 2035. Full report attached. Well done authors: Jaidev Dhavle Francisco Boshell Roland Roesch

Credit article to TGS Wind News | 4C Offshore James Fisher and Sons plc (James Fisher) has been awarded a contract worth over £1 million for the provision of high voltage (HV) specialist personnel and HV safety management services at the Zhong Neng offshore wind farm in Taiwan.   Developed in collaboration with the China Steel Corporation and leading Danish developer Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the Zhong Neng offshore wind farm will comprise of 31 turbines which are set to generate 300 MW of renewable electricity, enough to power approximately 300,000 households. Maida Zahirovic, Head of Renewables at James Fisher, says: "Taiwan has ambitious plans to achieve 20 percent renewable energy generation by 2025, and the growth in its offshore wind industry will play a significant role in this. As with any ambitious growth plan, the journey won’t be without its challenges - but with collaboration across the entire supply chain and experienced industry players, Taiwan will soon enjoy a thriving renewables sector. We’re delighted to be working with Zhong Neng as we continue to champion the expansion of renewables across Taiwan and Asia Pacific more broadly." #JamesFisherandSonsPLC #ZhongNeng #Taiwan #OffshoreWindFarm #QEDGroup #QEDEnergy #PrimeDispute